Costa Rica Field Course

"According to the New Economics Foundation, Costa Rica ranks first in the Happy Planet Index and is the "greenest" country in the world." - Wikipedia

ESE 389 Costa Rica is returning in Spring 2023!

Over Spring Break 2022, the School of Earth, Society and Environment will embark on its seventh field expedition to Costa Rica. The course will count as advanced hours in the major (rubric ESE 389, section A) and will consist of an 8 day trip to Costa Rica over Spring Break with weekly seminars on campus during the regular semester. The course will examine environment and sustainability issues in Costa Rica. Coverage includes: rainforest ecology, land-use issues, sustainable agriculture, developing economies, and geologic features of the landscape (e.g., volcanoes; rivers). Restricted to ESES majors and Unit One residents; non-majors can apply to the waitlist (email rkanter@illinois.edu).

We are partnering with the Instituto Monteverde, a Costa Rican non-profit dedicated to sustainability education. The Monteverde Institute is a community-based organization that supports local educational outreach, a publicly accessible library, research, and community programs.

If you want to know more about what the experience is like, look at last year's itinerary as a guide (2023 will be available soon!):

Field Trip Itinerary, Spring 2022

DAY 1 FRIDAY MARCH 11 ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA

Morning arrival at Juan Santamaría Airport arrival time to be determined

Snack or lunch depending on arrival time

Transfer to Hotel Aranjuez

Program and country orientation

Health and safety briefing

Dinner at restaurant to be determined in San Jose. Transport included if needed.

Night at Hotel Aranjuez (1)

DAY 2 SATURDAY MARCH 12 ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA

Morning Breakfast at Hotel Aranjuez

7:30am Load bags on to bus

8:00am Depart for Cahuita (allow 4 hours + time to stop along the way to stretch legs or use the bathroom)

Check in at hotel

Lunch in Cahuita

Afternoon to explore

Dinner at hotel

LODGING Hotel CariBlue (1) https://cariblue.com/

Tel: 011-506-2750-0035

DAY 3 SUNDAY MARCH 13 MARINE ECOLOGY, COASTAL LIVELIHOODS, AND THE LIONFISH THREAT TO BOTH

7:00 am Breakfast at hotel

7:30 am To Manzanillo-ASOPACS-

8:30 am Snorkeling at Manzanillo with ASOPACS

11:30 am Lunch with ASOPACS- Caribbean food- Turning an ecological problem into a culinary trend: lionfish lunch with ASOPACS (Southern Caribbean Artisanal Fishers Association)

2:30pm Time at the beach

7:00pm Dinner at hotel

LODGING Hotel CariBlue (2) https://cariblue.com/

Tel: 011-506-2750-0035

DAY 4 MONDAY MARCH 14 CAHUITA NACIONAL PARK TRAVEL DAY

6:30am Load bags on bus

7:00am Breakfast at hotel

7:30am Hike in Cahuita Nacional Park with MVI coordinator

10:30 Depart for La Fortuna

Lunch Soda Los Antjitos en el Cruce de Pensurth tel 27500769 ( bufe Style)

Afternoon Observe and discuss banana and pineapple production en route

Stop to sample tropical fruits en route (Maybe at Cruce de Rio Frio, cut up on site the fruits)

Evening Late dinner at lodging

LODGING Rancho Margot (1)

Tel: 011-506- 2468-4006

DAY 5 TUESDAY MARCH 15 FINCA LUNA NUEVA

7:00am-8:30am Breakfast at farm restaurant

9:0am Sacred Seeds tour (group 1) Farm tour (group 2)

Lunch at Finca Luna Nueva restaurant

2:00 pm Sacred Seeds tour (group 2) Farm tour (group 1)

6:00 pm Yoga class

7:00 pm Dinner at farm restaurant

LODGING Rancho Margot (2)

Tel: 011-506- 2468-4006

DAY 6 WEDNESDAY MARCH 16 RENEWABLE ENERGY THE MONTEVERDE INSTITUTE

6:45am Optional cow milking

7:30am Breakfast at farm restaurant

Morning Transfers to Monteverde in jeep – boat – jeep Discuss renewable energy while traveling across Lake Arenal and past wind turbines en route Check in at Hotel

Lunch at Cabinas Capulin

2:30 pm Walk in to the MVI offices to meet Staff and get to know more about what the MVI do ( with Coordinator)

2:50 pm Bienvenida

3:00 pm Presentation and Tour: The Monteverde Institute and Sustainability Issues-longer to what we usually do- (with MVI representative)

Stop in town if necessary

7:30pm Dinner at restaurant with Costarican food

LODGING Cabinas Capulin (1)

Tel: 011-506-2645-6719

DAY 7 THURSDAY MARCH 17 SAN GERARDO - NIGHT WALK CLOUD FOREST ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION AMPHIBIAN DECLINES

8:00am Transfer to Santa Elena Reserve

9:00am Begin slow hike to San Gerardo field station in the Children´s Eternal Rainforest (Mark Wainwright – local naturalist, illustrator, author of Mammals of Costa Rica, and board member of the Children´s Eternal Rainforest)

12:00pm Lunch at San Gerardo field station

1:00pm Free time or time to be defined by Mark and professors

2:30pm Presentation and discussion: Amphibian Declines and Partial Recovery (with Mark Wainwright, naturalist guide, illustrator, conservationist) (Mark)

6:00pm Dinner at station

7:00pm Night walk (Mark)

LODGING San Gerardo (1)

Tel: 011-506-2200-0313

DAY 8 FRIDAY MARCH 18 SAN GERARDO AGRICULTURE IN MONTEVERDE BATS

7:30am Breakfast at station

8:00am Independent exercise (Mark) solo walk -2 hours-

11:00 pm Lunch at station

12:00 pm Hike out of San Gerardo

3:00 pm Visit LIFE coffee farm, discuss sustainability

Presentation and Activity: Social Change in Monteverde (with Guillermo Vargas, LIFE co-owner/founder)

6:00 pm Dinner at Resturant

7:00pm Short Presentation: Bat Ecology (with Bat Jungle representative) and Bat mist-netting (with Bat Jungle representative)

LODGING Cabinas Capulin (2)

Tel: 011-506-2645-6719

DAY 9 SATURDAY MARCH 19 THE GUACIMAL SUSTAINABILITY DEMONSTRATION CENTER

7:00am Breakfast at hotel

8:30 am Travel to Guacimal

9:30 am Tour of the Sustainability Demonstration Center Spend time at farmers market and river

Discuss the Bellbird Biological Corridor en route (with MVI coordinator)

12:00pm Lunch at Guacimal farmers market

2:00 pm Transfer to San José

Evening Farewell Dinner in SJO at Café Mundo

Closing discussion Course evaluations

LODGING Hotel Aranjuez (1)

Tel: 011-506-2256-1825

DAY 10 SUNDAY MARCH 20 DEPARTURE

8:00 am Breakfast at hotel Transfer to airport

Departure at time TBD

 

 

 

 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Does this count for major credit?
   Yes - ESE 389 counts for advanced hours in the major
2. Are all costs included?
   All costs including accommodation, meals, flights and trips are inclusive.  Optional activities (activities not listed in the itinerary) are not covered by the student fee.
3. Do I need a visa? 
   US citizens do not require a visa, just a valid passport. International University of Illinois students may have other requirements. PRC passport holders do not require a Costa Rican visa if they hold a valid US visa.
4. How will the course give credit? 
   ESE 389 students will receive 3 hours of advanced credit. The course must be taken for grade.

STUDENT FEES AND COSTS

The total cost for students will not exceed $3309. Student fees are included as part of the regular University of Illinois tuition, and may be paid for by standard financial aid and other student support.

Are fees an issue for you? 

There are College and School scholarships available.

You may also want to reassure parents or other potential co-funders that the course fee for ESE 389 covers a lot, including  

• Transportation to and from Chicago with overnight lodging the night before departure   

• Air fare 

• All fees for instruction and entrance to facilities 

• All meals and lodging for eight days and nights in Costa Rica!