I'm raising money to head to Costa Rica to volunteer in the mountains near the town of Parrita so I can look after the exotic animals through monitoring, feeding, inspection, observing, farming and also educating the young students of the schools there about the preservation of the environment and its importance.

Who am I?

I am a second-year Accounting and Finance student at the University of Essex, I've always had an interest in volunteering especially in  animal welfare. This is truly "as cringe as it may seem* going to be a once in a life time experience as I'm going in the deep end travelling thousands of miles away from home, going to a country which I know the basics of the language but I won't be in the bustling cities instead I'll be thrown into the depths of the mountains looking for exotic animals who may need the help of the sanctuary.

my story

Volunteering (especially animal welfare) has always been an interest of mine but with having a career in mind, realistically I can't make a career out of travelling to exotic places to take care of animals because I would run out of money within the first few days. So I've opted for the safe option of going to university, studying to get a good degree with the hopes of having a stable job in the future. However, I've taken it upon myself to pursue this little dream even though it may not be long it will certainly be worth it. What I will be doing is not only important for myself but it should also be important to you because wildlife especially in Costa Rica is a national treasure. This small country only covers 1% of the world's surface but it is home to over half a billion of different plant and animal species. You might ponder, "Why Costa Rica?", Costa Rica has Pura Vida which means "Simple Life", their way of life is beyond compelling that they have been named one of the happiest countries of the world.

As the dominant specie in the world, we have been responsible for 99% of currently threatened species due to human activities causing habitat loss, introduction of exotic species and global warming. Wildlife conservation is not only about the sustainability of the world's many ecosystems, medical advances, conservation of natural habitat but also about the respect that I believe *again without sounding too cringe* animals deserve as we all share this planet.

Where will the money go?

• Programme Fee*: £800
• Visa - £100
• Equipment-  £300-£500

Any other additional money raised will go towards my travelling expenses.

*Programme Fee includes consultation of experienced staff, orientation, local support, accommodation in the dormitory volunteer house, full-board (3 meals/day), airport pick-up, transfers

The programme will last for 4 weeks.

Rewards

To those who will donate, I will personally thank every single one of you whether it is in person, a video call, call, text or email. Your donation will be 100% appreciated.

For those that donate a significant amount, there will also be certain benefits such as bakery products, post-cards and/or magnets from Costa Rica. These benefits are subject to the amount donated.

I am doing a "Cook for Costa Rica" Event where if you donate £25 or more, I will cook a surprised 3 Course Meal for you. For further information please email 'removed by moderator' to book.

Here are some pictures of the ones that have been completed so far:

Basil and Mozarella Pizza (about to be put in the oven)

Vanilla Ice Cream with Strawberries and Mint on a White Chocolate Cookie

Lemon and Parsley Salmon with Veggies

Chilli Tomato Soup with Bruschetta

Find us here

Email: 'removed by moderator'

Please email for updates on fundraising events.

Help us succeed!

• Obviously the best thing to do would be to donate but there are many other ways in which you can help such as:
• Telling other people and sharing the fundraising site
• Helping out with the fundraiser events even if it is just to volunteer an hour of your time
• Research about things you can do to help preserving wildlife
• Opt to do a volunteering programme yourself (There are many different options - not just wildlife) : The organisations programme with is South America Inside but there are many organisations that offer volunteering experiences.