Kids Saving the Rainforest — Attraction in Naranjito

When I was a child, my greatest dream was to be a zookeeper. However, due to various circumstances, I never had the opportunity to pursue this passion or achieve the academic qualifications required. So, as an adult, I was thrilled to discover an experience that allowed me to live out my childhood dream, if only for a day.

From the moment I arrived, the staff at the sanctuary were absolutely wonderful. They exuded professionalism, friendliness, and a genuine care and compassion for the animals under their watchful eye. It was evident that their top priority was the well-being and happiness of every creature in their care.

The day was truly enlightening, as I had the opportunity to learn about each animal and their unique requirements. It was heart-wrenching to hear their unfortunate stories and how they found themselves at the sanctuary. Emotionally, it was a rollercoaster ride, with moments of sadness and moments of immense gratitude for the care they were now receiving. A testament to the incredible work being done at the sanctuary.

The animals themselves were simply breathtaking. The variety of species was not as extensive as what you would find in a typical zoo, since this was a sanctuary where rescued animals found refuge. Nevertheless, you will meet some beautiful creatures, the animals and the ladies that work there.

One of the highlights of the experience. I found myself covered in almond butter, trying my best to avoid licking my fingers while creating enrichment activities for the animals. It was a messy but incredibly fulfilling task, knowing that I was providing stimulation and joy for these incredible creatures.

And then, the pinnacle of the day arrived - preparing their meals and actually feeding the animals. This was an experience I will never forget. To have such close contact with these animals, was an absolute privilege.

Overall, the entire day was nothing short of wonderful. It felt as though I was being enriched, not just with knowledge about these incredible creatures, but with a deeper understanding of the importance of compassion and care in our daily lives.

I cannot recommend this activity enough. Whether you have a deep love for animals or simply want to make a positive impact on the planet and its nature, this experience is a must-do. It will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose and a warm heart, knowing that you have contributed in some way to the well-being of these amazing creatures and the preservation of our precious...

My family and I signed up for the one day volunteer experience with KSTR. There were 9 of us who signed up. TLDR: unfriendly staff, friendly volunteers, unclear expectations, zero communication. Absolutely not worth the money we paid for the volunteer experience.

When we bought tickets, we were never sent a welcome email or any instructions of what to expect during our 7 hour day. When we arrived we were given a lukewarm greeting from a staff member and then passed off onto a few volunteers who gave us a tour of the facility and then put us to work cutting up food and making some enrichment material for the animals. This was enjoyable and the volunteers were friendly. After this, it was time for lunch and we were just kinda dumped in the dining area with no instructions. No one acknowledged us or attempted to talk to us. Just a bunch of volunteers (mostly from Europe) on their cell phones hanging out not really talking to anyone. We found our way to the buffet line where we were served lunch. We sat back down and ate lunch together and then just kinda sat around for 30-45 minutes. At one point a staff member pointed us to the kitchen and told us to wash our own dishes and put them away so we obliged. We weren't sure if we were done or if there was more to do. Then someone came and led us back to the enclosures where they had us performing groundskeeping tasks like cleaning up leaves and transporting them into the jungle to compost piles. Since no one told us how to dress or what to expect, we were in flipflops and shorts getting bit by ants the entire time. Once we were done with this, we were led into the jungle to cut down some small trees for the enclosures. There was zero communication, just basically someone gave us machetes and said, 'follow me'. So here we are walking DEEP into the jungle in flip flops, shorts and t-shirts carrying machetes and covered in ants, mosquitos, bugs and trying to watch out for snakes. We were in the jungle for a solid 30 minutes cutting down small trees and then dragged them back to the enclosure. At this point we were pretty much done and left. Don't get me wrong, we expected to work while we were there but the unfriendliness and lack of communication took this from a 5 star to a 3...

Small group English speaking tour led by a knowledgeable staff person or long time volunteer. She showed us to the “farm” where they raised animals to help feed the clinic animals, nursery, and sanctuary residents, talked about the animals they care for and shored us where they prepared the food with more short term volunteers, and walked us around the sanctuary where animals that cannot return to the wild reside. She shared stories about each of the animals and/ or what they were doing to introduce animals into the same enclosures. While we had to view the animals through the cage, it is far closer than anything you’ll see in the wild. We finished with a platter of fresh fruits and cold water.

After an initial mix up about transportation to the sanctuary (from MA N.P.) Katie graciously came to get me for the 1pm tour. Pro tip: join the 1pm tour as it is closer to the time they do a feeding and you might get a chance to see the sanctuary animals come out of their boxes for food.

The clinic, nursery & sanctuary has minimal full time staff and gets by largely on donations. The Blue Banyan Inn helps run the operations and houses volunteers. I can’t speak for the volunteer experience, but the grounds were emasculate, the place looked well maintained, and they do some seriously good work. I recommend the tour as it is intimate, very educational and it supports a...