Asociación de Voluntarios para el Servicio en Areas Protegidas de Costa Rica

“We will retain only what we love,  we will love only what we understand  and we will understand only what we are taught”   Baba Dioum (African conservation leaders)    Environmental education is the key to awareness and social change. We know that biodiversity conservation is determined by values, attitudes and actions. Therefore our Environmental Education Unit (UEA by its Spanish acronym) works to create environmental awareness in the surrounding communities of protected areas and society in general to generate a more use of natural resources.   Currently this Unit is rethinking how to bring the knowledge of the organization to the communities I n order to raise awareness and change behaviors. So the conservation process can become an everyday action.

In recent years, the government of Costa Rica promoted environmental education in public and private schools (it was declared of public interest and mandatory throughout the country). The content of the Environmental Organic Law (N0 7554 of 1995) and the Biodiversity Act (N0 7788 of 1998) provide the legal background to promote it. However this is just the beginning of a long road to change today social behavior.

   Our actions   

Educational and environmental massive events   
The process of sharing environmental information in strategic locations through our environmental education volunteers. Our idea comes with social conscience and it supports the conservation of protected areas .
Activities during on special dates
We participate in special dates and anniversaries such us the National Parks Day, World Environment Day and Oceans Day, among others For these activities We support and organize special events at National Parks, Nature Reserves an wildlife refuges with our volunteers to promote volunteer service.
Environmental education workshops
Family, friends and school are the eco trainers in the early stages of our lives due to that reason we work with environmental education programs., we believe conservation begins at home and in school so we lead basic courses for children in different schools in Costa Rica .   
Social Service, thesis, special research, internships for students or professionals   
Our conservation projects are a green open classroom for students all around the world. The offer is open to students of academic and technical High Schools , universities and professionals interested in community work, internships or some type of specialization in sea turtle´s conservation, protected areas, wildlife refuges, etc.
Environmental education activities in communities in Costa Rica  
Monthly we offer courses for communities that surround the protected areas where we work. At present we work with the artisanal fishermen on the Tárcoles River and the communities of San Francisco de Dos Rios, Tortuguero and Mata Palo. Through these activities we try to make citizens to be aware about the progressive degradationof the environment is as the result of some human activities.
Training activities to prevent fires
  We participated in the opening and closing of the National Forest Fire Season with parades, and educational activities.
Sea Turtle Festival
  Every year we organize the Turtle Festival at Matapalo to actively make the community a participant of our Turtle Conservation Project. It includes Lectures, workshops for children, games, gifts,, among others activities.     
Cleaning and restoring of natural areas   
We work with volunteers to clean , rivers, roads and urban green sites adjacent to protected areas. ASVO works in the adjacent areas of Braulio Carrillo National Park and in Guanacaste Conservation Area through agreement we made with the Universidad Nacional (by its Spanish acronym UNA). Government and Private Organizations such as Terra Nostra.   
English and Physical Education in schools
  Through our English Teaching Programs and Physical Education Programs we promote multiculturalism in rural communities as well asthe development of a second language to children and resident in communities that surround protected areas. We work with internationals volunteers from all over the word.  
Training of volunteers   
Volunteers who participate in our actions to preserve natural resources go through a formal or informal environmental education. The goal is to teach them how to protect natural resources by providing tools and knowledge to do it the best.   We are convinced that individual and collective activities for conservation are the best tool to achieve change in social consciousness. In this sense, regarding the nature of learning that volunteers have during the fieldwork, we add to our Volunteer Training Programs if they are permanently in Costa Rica. It includes courses or seminars on sea turtles; Effective use of water, wildlife management, ecology of birds, mammals and amphibians, patrolling techniques and mountain environmental legislation, First Aid, Forestry Firefighter Course, among others.   

The actions for a better relationship with the environment cannot wait for the new generations. We must urgently take individual responsibility to respect nature and all living beings on our planet. We must change the lifestyle that we’ve taken so far. We must realize that the task of having a healthier environment is the responsibility of all us.

ASVO is a non-governmental, self-managed and non-profit organization created by volunteers. The funding of the Association comes exclusively from donations and revenue from the international volunteer programs.