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, Spring 2026!

Are you looking for a life-changing educational adventure?

Consider ESE 389, Field Expedition to Costa Rica, which is run by the School of Earth, Society, and Environment in cooperation with LAS International Programs and the Monteverde Institute, a Costa Rican non-profit dedicated to sustainability education.

ESE 389 meets in a weekly seminar over the course of the spring semester, but the heart of the course is a nine-day trip to Costa Rica over spring break. Some of the activities included in the tour include hiking to observe volcanoes, touring a sustainable coffee farm, spending two days at a field station in the cloud forest, a boat tour of coastal mangroves, and snorkeling in the Pacific.

All current University of Illinois students are welcome to apply. Please be aware the application period for this course is in the fall; the deadline to submit applications for the upcoming semester is October 15th, 2025.

To make an appointment to learn more about the course, please email one of the professors, either Rob Kanter [rkanter@illinois.edu] or Nooreen Meghani [nooreen2@illinois.edu]. You can also find other information about the course via LAS Abroad at this link.

Field Trip Itinerary, Spring 2026

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN COSTA RICA

• Morning/afternoon arrival at Juan Santamaría Airport (SJO) arrival time TBD
• Transfer to Santa Rosa National Park
• Program and country orientation
• Health and safety briefing
• Dinner at a restaurant in San Jose.
• Night at Santa Rosa Field Station 

DAY 2: 

• Morning Breakfast at park
• Intro to Guanacaste Conservation Area
• Lunch at park
• Hike and discuss tropical deciduous forest ecology
• Visit La Casona
• Dinner at park
• Night at Santa Rosa Field Station

DAY 3: 

• 7:00 am Breakfast at park
• Snorkeling at Cuajiniquil
• Lunch
• Depart from the park
• Visit to Miravalles geothermal power plant
• Travel to Monteverde
• Dinner at hotel
• La Casona Lodge

DAY 4: 

• 8:00am Breakfast at hotel
• Welcome at the MVI
• Presentation and Tour
• Lunch at Finca LIFE
• Visit LIFE coffee farm, discuss sustainability
• Presentation and Activity: Social Change in Monteverde
• Dinner at hotel
• La Casona Lodge

DAY 5: 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve
• Forest and natural history hike
• Lunch at CASEM women's coop
• Free time
• Yoga and mindfulness session at MVI
• Dinner at MVI
• Presentation: Bat Ecology and Bat mist-netting
• La Casona Lodge

DAY 6: 

• Transfer to Santa Elena Reserve
• Load on bus to the MVI
• Slow hike to San Gerardo field station in the Children's Eternal Rainforest
• Lunch at San Gerardo field station
• Free time
• Presentation and discussion: Amphibian Declines and Partial Recovery with emphasis on climate change impacts
• Dinner at station
• Night walk
• San Gerardo field station

DAY 7: 

• Breakfast at station
• Independent exercise solo walk
• Lunch at San Gerardo field station
• Hike out to San Gerardo
• Continue on in the Bellbird Biological Corridor to Costa de Pajaros (in bus)
  Discuss land use, economic opportunities, and conservation in different sectors
• Check in at hotel
• Free time
• Dinner at hotel
• Hotel La Ensenada

DAY 8: 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Load bus
• Boat tour of mangroves, Area de Pesca Responsible sustainable fishery
• Arrive at Mariposas del Golfo and brief discussion with community members involved in women's association, rural community tourism initiative, oyster production, and sustainable fishery
• Lunch at Mariposas del Golfo
• Travel to Guanacaste
• Stop at Limonal "Mi Finca" to observe Scarlet Macaws and discuss impacts of captive breeding and "the dark side" of "ecotourism"
• Check in at hotel
• Dinner at hotel
• Hotel Boyeros

DAY 9: 

• Breakfast at hotel
• Mobiliary and luxary tourism in Guanacaste: environmental and social implications
• Discussion on the impacts on ecosystems and analyze the contrast between eco, rural, and mass tourism
• Lunch at restaurant
• Free time at beach
• Farewell dinner in Liberia
• Closing discussion
  Course evaluations
• Hotel Boyeros

DAY 10: DEPARTURE

Breakfast at hotel
Transfer to airport

Departure at time TBD

What's included in the program fee?

• Full board and accommodation for the duration of the course
• All activities, tours and entrance fees detailed in the itinerary
• Full-time MVI coordinator(s)
• All in-country transportation
• Translation and interpretation, as necessary
• Use of MVI facilities, services and trails
• All applicable sales tax and service fees

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 included.  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? 
   Students will receive 3 hours of advanced credit. The course must be taken for grade.