Proyecto Asis Experiences by Hannah Nevitt
Proyecto Asis….where you are a part of nature!
Walking around Proyecto Asis you can see monkeys, toucans, and parrots in cages built for rehabilitation. Beautiful flowers and exotic plants grow freely next to cacao, banana, plantain, and fruit trees. As I cross the bridge over the small lagoon, a train of ants are hard at work carrying small green leaves. To my left the lagoon is filled with lily-pads, perched ducks, colorful fish, and swimming turtles. It is also home to a few crocodiles…which are apparent as soon as I see quickly moving lily-pads and a pair of yellow eyes pop out of the water.
Performing in their cages like acrobats, the monkeys on the reserve are incredible. We have two new Spider monkeys that will hold your hand and are always eager to say hello in the morning. Last week, with the help of some volunteers, we finished building a new cage for them; however a white-faced monkey arrived just in time to claim residence! I watched excitedly as they released the new monkey into the pristine cage…he tested all the accommodations by running around and jumping from branch to branch. He looked the like the monkey from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies so we named him "Jack."
Proyecto Asis spans over eight acres of protected tropical rainforest, bought and preserved by Don Jaime Castillo and his family 14 years ago. He is a trained veterinarian and has dedicated the property to be a haven for wild animals, either injured or unable to survive in the wild. His son, Alvaro Del Castillo is the director of Proyecto Asis, (Project Asis, named after Saint Asis, who cared deeply for animals) and started the volunteer center and language institute. They are a wonderful family and take great care of the animals that are often injured by cars, or abandoned and left at their doorstep. The warmth and care of Don Jaime, and his son, Alvaro Del Castillo, are incredible; the animals really are a part of the family here. They practice a belief that humans and animals can co-exist together in nature!
Just the other day we received a baby sloth that had unfortunately fallen from a tree. Three workers from the Acueducto La Tigra, found the baby sloth on the street and brought it to us. Today I watched as Don Jaime held the baby sloth, curled in a ball close to his chest, so it could hear the gentle beating of his heart…just as the sloth's mother would have done. "Heart-warming" was an understatement!
Walking back to my office, I pass other cages of wild boars, kinkajous, and our new guest, "Hedwig" the white owl (lechuzón de anteojos), who looks like the owl in Harry Potter. We also have a new beautiful Toucan, which was recently confiscated by MINAE (Ministerio Del Ambiente y Energía), the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
MINAE, and Children's Eternal Rainforest are two organizations that work closely with us. They usually conduct operations to find injured or abandoned animals; confiscating parrots, parakeets, and other abused animals to later bring to Proyecto Asis. After helping them through the restoration process, we try our best to release them back into the forest.
In some instances, unfortunately, it is not possible to release animals back into the wild. Some are severely injured or were raised in captivity so we keep them within the protection of the reserve, or release them into the protected, Children's Eternal rainforest. The animals at Proyecto Asis are incredible! The birds, the monkeys, the swimming turtles…and the raccoons that rest by your feet as you drink an afternoon "cafe." How different it is for me to interact so freely with animals that normally I would be 20 feet away from in a zoo!
For the next six months I will be working with Proyecto Asis. My job here is unique and exciting. I am here to provide orientation programming, assist with marketing, and to be an onsite coordinator for incoming student volunteers. Proyecto Asis has a number of volunteer programs at varied durations including working in the wild animal rescue center; were volunteers can feed the animals, or build and cleaning the cages. They also have social programs where students can teach English or Spanish in local schools, work on recycling projects, or work on other construction projects in the rural community. In addition to these programs, we also have specialty programs in animal science, reforestation, and conservation.
At Proyecto Asis, individuals, groups, or families of volunteers are able to live in Costa Rica with host-families for varied durations (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks) volunteering, and also learning Spanish at the Spanish Institute. It is my job to work with travel organizations, help with marketing, as well as work with the volunteers and take them on excursions when they are here.
So far is has been really fun and rewarding. Working with the animals, living with a host family, and learning Spanish in beautiful Costa Rica has been amazing. I really feel like I am making a difference; not only for the community…but for me as well; I am learning so much!
As I look around…the stunning views, massive volcanoes, orchids, and exotic animals…all have become an integral part of my experience here in Costa Rica. Although different, it is important for me to learn to co-exist with nature, just as the Ticans have done for years.
The way of life at Proyecto Asis is just another element of the Pura Vida (Pure life) of Costa Rica; and an exciting attempt to bridge the gap between nature and man!
