May 11 - May 25, 2010 Approximate costs - $2750

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Nowhere in the world is it easier to be "at one with nature" than in Costa Rica. Exploring the misty cloud forests, volcanic mountain ranges and tropical rain forests will reveal an unmatched biodiversity. During this two week adventure, we'll hike just about every day, horseback ride, raft Class III-IV whitewater, go kayak touring, snorkel, ride the zip-line through the forest canopy and plant trees to reduce our carbon footprint.

Amid all this physical activity we'll interact with the locals to learn about the culture and improve our Spanish, learn about the flora and fauna of the country, better understand the importance of habitat conservation and even share a meal with a local family to get a true picture of life in Costa Rica.

This trip is designed for outdoor enthusiasts eager to be involved in a rigorous, high-energy, active learning experience. One Physical Education credit is available for active participation. Attend one of the information sessions to learn more about the trip details.

UGA Costa Rica Campus
During the program, students will stay at UGA’s beautiful campus at the head of the San Luis Valley, adjacent to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The campus is high enough in elevation to offer a temperate climate year-round. With wide verandas overlooking the Valley, a dining room with soaring ceiling, and computer facilities, the student union is a popular place to congregate. Participants are housed in spacious bungalows nestled into the landscape, each room with its own private bath.

Program Leader
Jennifer Stewart See Jennifer's bio here.

Program Sponsor
Georgia Outdoor Recreation Program
Department of Recreational Sports,
Unit of the Division of Student Affairs
University of Georgia
201 Ramsey Student Center
www.recsports.uga.edu

Course
PEDB 1090    Outdoor Adventure (1 hour credit)

Activities

Rafting the Pacuare River	Forest Hike in Monteverde Reserve
Costa Rica's Pacific Coast	Horse-back Riding
Arenal Volcano	Zipline

Activities for GORP Costa Rica Adventure 2009

• 13 out of 15 days will find the group spending the majority of the time outside engaged in physical activity.
• Most days begin with breakfast between 6 -7 a.m.—always plenty to eat to fuel you for the day's activities. Most physical activity is in the morning while afternoons and evenings will find us learning a new skill or engaging in a cultural activity taught by a native Costa Rican.
• Travelling from place to place will be via 7 passenger van or 30 passenger mini-bus on roads that are less smooth than here in the US , but we will have AC! The scenery is always interesting so keep your eyes open as it's fun to catch a glimpse of a toucan, howler monkey or sloth!
• Most every day will find us doing some kind of hiking – from ½ mile to 8 miles often for 3-6 hours at a time. Our guides will teach us about the plants, animals and historical culture of Costa Rica . Hiking on the Carribean Coast will be in hot, humid conditions with rain likely every day. At the higher elevations, it won't be as hot, but rain is more likely. The rain makes everything so green, is soothing to listen to and provides some great scenic effects. It's a great time to enjoy being out in the rain like we did when we were kids stomping in puddles!
• Horseback riding will be a guided trail riding tour for 2 hours. Most likely your horse will respond to a kissing sound to avoid problems with the language barriers so pucker up!
• Cow milking will be an udderly tactile physical experience!
• Bird watching will be a leisurely guided walk with eyes peeled and binoculars ready to spot beautiful Costa Rican birds like the Mott-Mott and Resplendent Quetzel Bird.
• The zip-line tour will find students harnessed into the cable pulley travelling between platforms at speeds of 5-25 miles an hour at heights of 25-200 feet above ground. This will be as close to Six Flags as you'll get on this trip!
• For kayak touring students will paddle their boat across the lake with the possibility of experiencing wind and a choppy water surface- but at the base of a volcano that's not too bad!
• Rafting will be a 2 day/overnight eco/tent camping experience. Students will actively paddle under a guide's instructions to maneuver the raft through Class II-IV whitewater rapids. They do say “rest” every so often amid “paddle hard”!!
• Waterfall swimming will be available at various points along the trails. This is a great opportunity to get that “water up your nose” feeling!

The cost of the program covers lodging, three meals per day, study abroad insurance, hotels, meals, entry fees, carbon offset and in-country transportation.

Airfare is paid separately by the students.

Tuition is paid separately to the UGA Bursar's Office. For more information on tuition and fees, please visit the UGA Bursar's web site at https://busfin1.busfin.uga.edu/bursar/schedule.cfm.

***Note: Out-of-state students pay in-state tuition.
The HOPE scholarship applies to study abroad tuition.

Payment Methods & Schedule
The program fees will be charged to your student account. You may pay online with a credit card or mail a check to the Office of the Bursar. Access your student account here.

Through the UGA Costa Rica Office flexible payment options for program fees are available. The balance MUST BE PAID IN FULL before your program's departure. Please contact Matt Stevens for more information at 706-425-3316.

Tuition is not included in the program fee and will be posted to your student account as well. If you receive a scholarship or financial aid please notify the UGA Costa Rica Office if any payments will need to be submitted after the deadlines. Tuition payments must be paid in full a week before your program's departure.

Non-UGA Student Costs & Transient Application
An additional application and $50 processing fee is required for non-UGA students to enroll. Click here for instructions and to download the Transient Student applicaiton. Contact the UGA Costa Rica Office to confirm when you have started the application process.

Non-UGA students (excluding USG and SEC students) will be charged $250, in addition to their tuition, which is assessed by the UGA Bursar's office.

Application Process
To apply, students must submit a complete application, transient application (if applicable) and a $300 deposit. No application is complete without the deposit, which will be deducted from the total cost of the program. Deposit will be made payable via the UGA student accounts system the week following submission of this application. The deposit will be refunded if the applicant is not accepted, or if the applicant withdraws by the program's withdrawal deadline. Transient students need to include a check for the deposit amount along with their application, click here for complete instructions for transient students.

Enrollment is limted to 15 qualified students.

Target Dates / Deadlines
Application & $300 deposit deadline: March 5th, 2010
Withdrawal deadline: March 19th
After this date students who withdraw from the program will be responsible to cover program setup costs that have been spent on the student's behalf, i.e. hotel reservation, transportation and other payments to local vendors.
Final Balance Due: April 30th, 2010

Contact Us
To contact the UGA Costa Rica Office:
Email Matt Stevens at ugacr@uga.edu or call 706-425-3316.

To contact the GORP leader:
Jennifer Stewart
Assistant Director for Outdoor Recreation
Recreational Sports
The University of Georgia
201 Ramsey Center
Athens, GA 30602
recjls@uga.edu
706 542-8030