24. Itinerary
• Breakfast
DAY ONE • Monteverde Canopy Tour
• Group is met by Scholastic Expeditions upon arrival in Costa
Students will zip line through the cloud forest for an exhilarating
Rica.
once in a lifetime experience!
• Drive to Arenal...Orientation Dinner & Hotel Check-In
• Lunch
• **Optional red-eye flight which will allow for tour of Poas
• Butterfly Garden
Volcano & La Paz Waterfall Gardens
Students spend the afternoon learning about all of the different
DAY TWO species of butterflies as well as the adaptations each has made.
• Breakfast • Leisure time in beautiful Santa Elana
• Arenal Volcano National Park • Dinner
Students will hike through the lava flows of this active volcano
DAY FIVE
and participate in activities that allow them to become
• Breakfast & Hotel Check-Out Depart for Manuel Antonio
volcanologists for the day!
• EMCAR
• Lunch
Student participant in a mangrove tour along the Tempiske River.
• Community Service or Eco-Farm
• Lunch
Visit with Costa Rican students at a local school. Learn about
• Rainmaker Plantation
their culture and their day to day living and learning
Students embark on an exhilarating tour of a private rain forest
environments. Alternatively, students will work on an eco-farm
complete with hanging bridges and natural swimming holes.
and learn about sustainable farming.
• Arrive in Manuel Antonio…Dinner & Hotel Check-In
• Dinner
DAY SIX
• Arenal Volcanic Hot Springs
• Breakfast
Spend the evening relaxing in the natural hot springs.
• Manuel Antonio National Park
• Nighttime volcanic observation
Students hike through this spectacular park looking for the
DAY THREE multitude of native flora and fauna that call this park home.
• Breakfast & Hotel Check-Out Depart for Monteverde Boat across
• Lunch
Lake Arenal
• Snorkel tour
• Lunch in Tilaran
Embark on an afternoon dinner cruise to snorkel near the reefs
• Enjoy an opportunity to spend time with local Costa Ricans in a
and explore the marine life. On most trips, you will see dolphins
quaint town on the banks of Lake Arenal.
swimming in the boats wake as well as dolphins feeding on the
• Dinner & Hotel Check-In
amazing California Flying Fish!
• Frog Pond
• Dinner
Students view all of the famous species of frogs and learn about
DAY SEVEN
the adaptations each has made to thrive in their specific
• Breakfast & Hotel Check-Out
environment.
• White Water Rafting
DAY FOUR • This is an amazing experience that allows them to traverse
25. Itinerary
through several different ecosystems while viewing Costa Rican
wildlife along the banks of the river.
• Lunch
• Depart for San Jose, Costa Rica
• Farewell Dinner & Hotel Check-In
DAY EIGHT
• Breakfast & Hotel Check-Out
• Time permitting, visit museums & historical sites
• Depart for home
26. Academic Points
Water and Soil Testing at 5 locations throughout the country. Five about how a Wildlife Rescue Center works and what socio-economic
sites in 5 different ecological zones (i.e. tropical forest, dry tropical and political realities affect habitat destruction.
forest, brackish waters, etc.). Comparison and analysis of the data
and presentation of findings at the end of the trip. Community Service
Monteverde Butterfly Gardens Programs Numerous projects available. Here is some options of what
Offers lab where students get to work with a variety of insects and students do: reforestation, painting School Grounds, Community
arachnids. Typical lab is where students will divide into groups and Centers, building infrastructure, working in children’s or elderly
each group will get either a group of ants, butterflies, cockroaches centers, assisting in various groups, i.e. Women groups that need
or spiders. Depending on level of group and preparation, students help harvesting medicinal plants and packing them, Tilapia farms,
give each other presentations that cover roles of bugs in their eco- preparing vegetables at school grounds etc.
system and the potential for human interference. Manuel Antonio National Park
Monteverde Forest Research Possibilities Beach/Rocky Shore Organisms Survey: with equipment perform a
Tree Measurement Project: comparison of tree density between a scientific survey of small aquatic organisms here. Possible
cloud forest and other regions visited. Contrast forested areas with comparison to Monteverde results.
protected and hypothesize reasons for any variances discovered. Discussion of Biological Corridors Project, National Park History and
Discussions on Golden Frog extinction. Numerous research or its role in the Costa Rican Conservation Efforts, discussion of CR’s
suggested topics students can participate in, i.e. role of biological Conservation Area System, ER’s Environmental Education Efforts and
adaptations, habitat loss, conservation measures, etc. Results, how Scarlet Macaw and /or Squirrel Monkey Studies are
conducted in a Protected Area and Buffer zones, how dolphin and
Freshwater Organisms Survey (aquatic insects) of small streams in whale research is conducted in CR, and marine and shore bird
Monteverde and perhaps other water bodies visited. studies are done. Depending on season, Turtle walk may be
Los Pumas Rescue Center possible or Turtle Night Patrol in Playa Rey with Local Ministry of the
Environment and other NGO officials.
Learn about Threatened and Endangered Wildlife Species such as :
Gray Fox, White-faced Monkey, Scarlet Macaw, and 5 of the 6 Costa
Rican Feline Species: Ocelot, Jaguarondi, Margay, Puma and Jaguar,
all of which are present at the Los Pumas Rescue Center. Learn also
27. Make it Happen!
• Contact your supervising teacher or
Susan Schai at (831) 440-1041
• The adventure of a lifetime awaits you!
28. How to Register
• Two part process:
1. Sign up online at
scholasticexpeditions.org
2. Send deposit of $250 to:
• 5601 Scotts Valley Dr. Ste. 313
Scotts Valley, CA 95066
• And you’re all set!
