*This fundraiser has ended. Thank you to my 27 donors for supporting my 3-week internship with CloudBridge Nature Reserve, Costa Rica.*

Right now, I’m living in a cloud forest in Costa Rica, helping researchers study and restore one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth.

I’m staying at Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, a rainforest reserve working to restore land that was once cleared for cattle farming. Over the past two decades, the forest here has slowly been coming back — and it’s incredible to see wildlife and plant life returning to areas that used to be pasture.

My background is in Environmental Science, and I’m currently pursuing a graduate degree in Social Entrepreneurship and Change, focusing on solutions that help both ecosystems and communities thrive. Being here allows me to see what conservation really looks like on the ground.

Instead of just studying environmental issues in a classroom, I get to support the researchers working in this ecosystem.

Right now, scientists here are studying everything from epiphytes in the forest canopy to jaguars, moths, and butterflies, all of which help scientists understand the health of the forest as it regenerates.

A few days each week, I hike out into the forest with researchers to help with fieldwork. These hikes are usually about 5 miles with around 800 feet of elevation gain — the equivalent of climbing more than 80 flights of stairs. It’s definitely challenging, but being surrounded by the cloud forest makes it worth it.

Along with research, I also help support the reserve itself. Once a week I work at the welcome center, helping visitors who come to explore the reserve, answering questions about the trails, and helping with entrance fees and small souvenirs that support the conservation work happening here.

Another day each week is spent doing trail maintenance, helping keep the forest trails safe and accessible for both visitors and researchers.

Cloud forests are some of the rarest ecosystems on Earth, but they play an incredibly important role. They store carbon, protect water sources, and support an extraordinary amount of biodiversity. The work happening here helps scientists understand how these ecosystems recover and how they can be protected for the future.

Being here has honestly been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life.

Because this trip is part of my graduate field experience, most of the travel and living expenses have to be covered personally. I created this page to help offset some of those costs so I can focus on supporting the research and conservation work happening here.

Where the funds go:

Travel

Round-trip flight (San Francisco to San José): $700

Getting to the reserve

Hotel in San José after arrival: $50

Bus to the mountains: $12

Taxi from the bus stop to the reserve: $35

Living at the reserve

Lodging at Cloudbridge ($30 per night): about $510

Groceries: about $100 per week

Laundry: about $3 per week

Field supplies

Bug spray

Biodegradable shampoo and conditioner

Other basic field supplies

Call to action

One simple way to support this experience is by helping cover a night of lodging at the reserve.

Cloudbridge charges $30 per night, so I’m looking for 17 people who would be willing to donate $30 to sponsor one night of my stay while I’m here supporting conservation research.

Of course, any contribution — big or small — truly helps.

If you’re not able to donate, sharing this page would also mean a lot.

Thank you for supporting my journey into conservation and helping contribute to protecting ecosystems like this one.

– Haley