ACI Costa Rica is a non-profit organization founded in 1967, whose main goal is to promote programs of intercultural learning and international volunteer service (IVS) for people from all around of the world, facilitating their experience in social and ecological projects, developing global citizens. ACI wants to contribute to solidarity and friendship between the different societies of our globalized world, to sustainable human development, and personal growth of our participants. Our organization is an active full member of the International Cultural Youth Exchange (ICYE), a federation of more than 40 intercultural and IVS organizations located in the five continents. ICYE Headquarters are placed in Berlin, Germany. The federation of ICYE has been recognized as International Peace Messenger by the United Nations. ACI Costa Rica has developed partnerships with other networks and programs such as: The Committee of Coordination of International Voluntary Service (CCIVS), associate to UNESCO, The Alliance of European Organizations (ALLIANCE), Volunteering Matters from United Kingdom (VM), VolontEUROPE, Weltwärs from the German government, and ERASMUS + from the European Union. The experiences we promote are mainly focused on incoming and outgoing programs, involving long and short-term periods, for groups and individuals. These programs are managed in cooperation with our local Costa Rican networks, partner organizations and communities such as: The Federation of Social Organizations (FOS) and YO ME UNO from the private initiate, and others.

ACI’s objectives:
- Promote brotherhood and solidarity between humans
- Work towards a sustainable human development
- Encourage substantial changes and harmonize the relationship between humanity and nature

Depending on the volunteer’s preferences, different tasks can be given, for example:
Gardening tasks:
- Weeding and pruning the plants
- Composting the plants and maintaining the compost bin
- Cleaning the garden benches
- Ensuring that the larvae have food, eggs and pupae
- Maintenance of the butterfly feeders
- Taking care of the turtles, taking care of the waterfall, taking care of the orchids
- Cleaning and maintaining order in the cellar, etc.

Guide’s tasks:
- The volunteer has to have knowledge of the butterflies and biology which he will obtain after a few months in the project then it would be possible for them to do the tasks with the guides.
- To give training on the ecology and importance of butterflies in the ecosystem, as well as the introduction to the trail.
- Hand out both the field guide and the main guide to the tourists and remind them to hand it in at the reception upon their return.
- Verify the order inside the butterfly house, the butterfly feeders, the turtles, etc.

Lab tasks:
- Keeping it tidy and clean
- Collecting plants to feed larvae
- Transferring larvae to fresh food
- Cleaning drawers with water and chlorin
- Changing organic paper
- Keeping materials in their respective places
- Keeping a record of the data in the production sheet (hatching, pupae, larvae, and eggs collected), etc.

Administrative work:
- Online/marketing
- Translating documents and translating the tourist guides
- Making videos and taking pictures of the projects, etc.

Schedule for the volunteer:
There are 2 work schedules from: 9:00am - 2:00pm (main schedule) and
13:00 – 16:00 (first days in the project)
The project is open from Monday to Sunday.
The volunteer will work from 3 to 5 days depending on the volunteer
The days will be negotiated with the project.

Lunch will be provided by the family and has to be brought to work.
There are also some restaurants near the project if you don’t want to bring lunch.
Here are several typical dishes from Costa Rica:
- Gallo pinto or just pinto: breakfast dish made of rice and beans, spicy ingredients with Salsa Lizano (mix of onion, cauliflower, carrot, cumcumber, salt, sugar and spices)
- Casado: the most traditional dish of the country, it can be a mix of rice, beans, salad, tortillas, fried platano maduro and meat (beef, pork, chicken or fish) often served with fresh fruit juice
- Tamale: often served for breakfast, ingredients wrapped in banana leaves, it can be sweet or savoury (meat, vegetables, chocolate, fruits, etc.)
- arroz con leche: rice pudding, but with sugar, salt, lemon zest and cinnamon sticks

The Jardin de Mariposas Spirogyra is located just 10 min out of the center of San José, the capital of Costa Rica, and in the last bit of forest of the metropolitan area: a little tropical paradise in the city center. The neighborship with the Zoo Simon Bolivar makes the project even more interesting since the two spaces are located on the shores of the Torres river, where there is still a little bit of forest, which works as a natural air filter and produces oxygen. It is also a shelter for butterflies, turtles and Flora. In fact, the Valle Central is known to be a place where different species of butterflies live together, even though they are usually found in different, specific parts of the country. This is why in the 350m2 farm, visitors can see several of Costa Rica’s most beautiful species and observe them in every state of their lives.

San José offers many tourist attractions and activities:
- National Museum
- Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and its Culture Square above the museum
- Jade Museum
- Central market, huge market where people can many things, including organic food and clothes
- Many parks and squares
- Poás volcano, an active 2,697-metre stratovolcano located 37 km Northwest of San José
- Irazú Volcano, the highest active volcano in Costa Rica, situated 50 km East of San José, the area is beautiful and people can go hiking and enjoy amazing observation points
- La Paz Waterfalls, located 50 km North of San José

The volunteers must fulfill the following conditions:
- 18 years or older
- Interest in nature and the environment
- Bring appropriate clothing (boots, working clothes, long pants, etc.)
- Respect the rules of the institution
- To be open to do administrative work
- To have a basic level of English or Spanish

The Extra Fee indicated covers a period of 2 WEEKS, and includes

- Transfer from the airport to the host family
- Orientation day, a day in which we give a cultural introduction to Costa Rica, safty and transportation recommendations, directions to the project and a tour of San Jose with lunch included
- Accomodation and meals in the host family
The program has flexible dates depending on the availability of the project, with flexibility from 2 weeks to 5 month, but this includes an additional fee to the indicated fee.