Earthwatch Institute: Conserving Wild Bees and Other Pollinators of Costa Rica

From the mountainous tropical forest in San Luis de Monteverde to the pastures and forests along the coastal community of Puerto Jimenez, teens ages 15-18 years old join a research team to investigate how threats to bees and butterflies affect the critical pollination services they provide. 

Climate change, pesticide use, and habitat loss threaten pollinator communities, impacting agricultural production. A changing climate could cause these species to disappear. During this expedition, you will work with local communities to create agroforests, helping pollinator communities and provide livelihoods for low-income families in the region. Accommodations are comfortable shared bedrooms with chef-prepared meals. 

HOW YOU WILL HELP:

When you arrive, the researchers will provide you with information on working with pollinator species. Depending on your team’s location, field work includes the following tasks:

COLLECT AND OBSERVE BEES: Hike up the mountain to set out bee traps (small bowls filled with soapy water that attract the bees). You will then return to the sites to collect the pollinators to be sorted and observed back in the lab.

PLANT TREES: Create a tree nursery. Plant trees in pastures to begin the process of reforestation.

PLANT SQUASH OR PUMPKIN PLANTS: Observe and count pollinator visits to these and nearby plants at the different stations where they are set up.

Our programs offer immersive, authentic, hands-on field research for teens between the ages of 15 and 18. You will receive training from renowned environmental scientists and their field staff and gain life-defining material for that college essay, as well as a glimpse into what a career as a scientist might look like.

18 year olds have the option of joining a teen team or a standard adult team. Teens aged 15–17 are also welcome on standard adult expeditions when accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Visit our website for more details!