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Great Green Macaw flying over Costa Rica, representing Tayra's field course portfolio

Costa Rica field schools · 2026–2027

Study tropical science
where it happens.

Small-group field schools combining focused instruction, guided practice, and immersive experiences across Costa Rica’s diverse ecosystems.

2026–2027 course portfolio

Choose your course.

Each field school combines instruction, guided field experiences, daily reflection, and deep immersion in Costa Rica’s ecosystems. Applying does not require payment, and detailed participant information is requested only after acceptance. We look forward to your application.

Start an application ↗
White-faced capuchin resting on a tree branch
01Advanced

Advanced Primate Behavioral Ecology

An advanced primate field school for students with previous behavioral research experience who are ready to design and conduct an independent project with wild monkeys at Camaquiri.

Explore the full course page →
DatesDec. 29, 2026–Jan. 15, 2027 · Winter Session
Application deadlineDecember 14, 2026
Duration18 days
Tuition$3,000International airfare is not included.
Camaquiri · Mata Banana · Barra del Colorado
Who this course is for

Upper-level undergraduate students, graduate students, and early-career researchers with previous coursework or field experience in primatology, animal behavior, ecology, or a related discipline.

What you will learn

  • Develop a focused proposal and refine behavioral methods for actual field conditions.
  • Collect consistent survey, demographic, group-composition, and individual-identification data.
  • Connect independent research with ongoing monitoring and emerging study sites at Camaquiri.

Field experience

  • Methodological readings and faculty consultation that strengthen the project before arrival.
  • Proposal presentation and on-site refinement before intensive data collection begins.
  • Extended field days focused primarily on the student's independent research project.
Course outcome

Students complete the field component of an advanced independent study with an approved design, substantial original data, and a clear path toward a rigorous final research paper.

Apply for this course ↗Request the updated syllabus →
Collaborative mural featuring Costa Rica's tropical wildlife
02Interdisciplinary

Studio Art Practices, Travel Journals & Collaborative Art

An interdisciplinary course that uses art-making and reflective documentation to connect students with Costa Rica’s landscapes, communities, and schools. Projects are coordinated with partner schools and may combine studio practice, handmade travel journals, and collaborative art residencies.

DatesJune 14–28, 2027
Application deadlineMay 30, 2027
Duration15 days
Tuition$2,600International airfare is not included.
Costa Rica · Partner schools and field sites
Who this course is for

Students focusing on art, Spanish, or education, as well as interdisciplinary groups interested in creative practice, cultural exchange, and place-based learning.

What you will learn

  • Develop observational drawing skills through natural objects, landscapes, and everyday subjects.
  • Use watercolor and collage to record color, texture, movement, and a personal sense of place.
  • Make a travel journal from scratch and use it throughout the course for sketches, notes, and reflection.

Field experience

  • Studio lessons and field-based drawing sessions inspired by Costa Rica’s natural and cultural environments.
  • Travel-journal practice that combines visual observation, written reflection, and collected ideas.
  • A school-based art residency shaped with the host community, potentially involving a mural, printmaking, or another collaborative project.
Course outcome

Students leave with a handmade travel journal, a portfolio of field-based studies, and practical experience contributing to a collaborative art project developed with a partner school.

Apply for this course ↗Request the detailed syllabus →
Hummingbird displaying fully extended wings on a mossy branch
03Open level

Birding: Caribbean & Pacific Slopes

An immersive birding journey from the wet Caribbean lowlands to the Pacific dry and transition forests, connecting identification with behavior, habitat, and conservation.

Explore the full course page →
DatesJune 26–July 5, 2027
Application deadlineJune 11, 2027
Duration10 days
Tuition$2,000International airfare is not included.
Camaquiri · Río Colorado · Carara
Who this course is for

Beginning and experienced birders, university students, and naturalists. The course is open level and combines identification practice with ecological interpretation.

What you will learn

  • Identify tropical birds through field marks, vocalizations, movement, behavior, and habitat.
  • Compare bird communities across wet Caribbean, riverine, dry, and transition forests.
  • Interpret how forest structure, food resources, and geography influence distribution.

Field experience

  • Extensive guided bird walks through Camaquiri's forest, trails, edges, and clearings.
  • Boat-based observation on the Río Colorado and habitat comparisons in the Carara and Tárcoles region.
  • Structured field lists, daily review, and informal lectures on ecology and behavior.
Course outcome

Students finish with stronger identification skills and the ecological framework to explain why bird communities change across Costa Rica—not simply a longer species list.

Apply for this course ↗Request the updated syllabus →
Two white-faced capuchins interacting in tropical forest
04Foundational research

Primate Behavior & Ecology

A hands-on primate field school combining lectures, guided exercises, and independent research in wild monkey behavior, ecology, and conservation at Camaquiri.

Explore the full course page →
DatesJuly 2–23, 2027
Application deadlineJune 17, 2027
Duration22 days
Tuition$3,000International airfare is not included.
Camaquiri Conservation Initiative
Who this course is for

Undergraduate students and motivated beginners seeking their first structured primate field experience. Previous fieldwork is not required.

What you will learn

  • Apply systematic behavioral observation and primate survey methods.
  • Measure habitat structure, food availability, group composition, and activity patterns.
  • Critically discuss primatology research and develop an approved independent field project.

Field experience

  • Repeated primate observations along Camaquiri’s trail system.
  • Guided exercises in behavioral sampling, habitat measurement, and ecological data collection.
  • Research proposal, field data collection, analysis, written report, and oral presentation.
Course outcome

Students complete the full research cycle: turning an observation into a feasible question, selecting appropriate methods, organizing and analyzing field data, and presenting a defensible conclusion.

Apply for this course ↗Request the updated syllabus →
Red-eyed tree frog observed during tropical fieldwork
05Field intensive

Tropical Herpetology

A field-intensive study of tropical amphibian and reptile biology that combines identification, standardized survey methods, independent research, and applied sea turtle conservation.

Explore the full course page →
DatesJuly 14–August 3, 2027
Application deadlineJune 29, 2027
Duration21 days
Tuition$3,000International airfare is not included.
Camaquiri · Tayra Pacific Research Site · Corcovado · Marino Ballena
Who this course is for

Biology, ecology, wildlife, and environmental science students who want direct field experience. Advanced herpetology experience is not required, but participants should be prepared for humid conditions and night surveys.

What you will learn

  • Identify major amphibian and reptile groups using morphology, behavior, calls, and ecological context.
  • Use visual encounter surveys, natural-cover searches, leaf-litter plots, and structured field notebooks.
  • Connect behavior, reproductive biology, forest structure, and biogeography with conservation.

Field experience

  • Lectures, identification laboratories, and day and night herpetofauna surveys at Camaquiri.
  • An individual project built from a proposal, field observations, analysis, and presentation.
  • Applied sea turtle research at the Tayra Pacific Research Site, supported by conservation comparisons across Pacific habitats.
Course outcome

Students leave able to locate and identify tropical herpetofauna, select an appropriate survey method, maintain defensible field records, and communicate the findings of a focused research project.

Apply for this course ↗Request the updated syllabus →

Clear from the start

What your tuition
covers.

Course tuition is designed to cover the complete academic field experience in Costa Rica during the official program dates.

Included
  • All accommodations throughout the official course dates.
  • All meals throughout the full course.
  • All in-country transportation required by the itinerary, including ground and water transportation when applicable.
  • All scheduled arrival, departure, and inter-site transfers within Costa Rica.
  • All entrance fees and scheduled program activities.
  • Academic instruction by the course faculty and instructors.
Not included
  • Personal research and field equipment, including binoculars, course-specific personal materials, rubber boots, and notebooks.
  • International airfare.
  • Personal expenses.
  • University credit or any fees charged by a participant’s home institution.
Planning note

Dates, any faculty assignments not shown above, and final logistics are subject to confirmation before enrollment is finalized. International airfare is not included in the tuition for any Tayra field course.

What students can expect

Rigorous, human, and grounded in place.

01Clear pre-departure expectations

02Small-group learning and field practice

03Local meals, sites, and connections

04Support from arrival through departure

05Research and conservation focus