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Volunteer

Join our team of many wonderful people, locally and from across the world, who are sharing their expertise digitally or in-person and supporting our work.

Los Higuerones works in the gift economy, meaning we work with the time and resources that are voluntarily provided.

Do you feel called to share your knowledge, skills, and other gifts with us? Send us a message! We are always open to welcoming self-motivated, adaptable people with specific gifts that are relevant for our projects.

Preferred skills:

Experience and affiliation with themes such as community resilience, sustainable, social and economic development, and/or the regenerative movement
Basic Spanish
The ability to cohabitate in a community setting
A willingness to take initiative
The time to work with us for longer than one month would also be ideal

Expect to take part in each of the following opportunities:

Your unique contribution to our projects; this could be helping with administrative tasks, marketing, social media, construction, video production, and art and design. Bring your magic!

Join our Manos Cambiadas program and other community events.

Assisting with the set up, take down and activities during the Mercado Verde, our weekly farmers market.

Cleaning/looking after the communal space.

My time at Los Higuerones was probably the best volunteer experience I’ve had. I learned so much from the team and all the amazing community members about how to live and work in symbiosis with both the environment and people you’re surrounded by. It was a chance to see a really different side to Costa Rica that I’m so grateful for.

–Past Volunteer at Los Higuerones

Energy Exchange

As part of our mission, our approach to exchanges encompass multiple types of capital. Therefore, your in-person contribution will likely be reciprocated in the following ways:

Investment

A minimum of 15 hours of your time each week and a weekly financial contribution (donation-based) to cover costs for gas/electricity and use of the kitchen.
Your expertise and presence during meetings and community activities.

Reciprocity

Material Capital: A place to sleep in our community hub with unlimited Wi-Fi access and spaces for personal practices.
Cultural Capital: Full immersion in the local culture of the Osa and interaction with volunteers from all over the world with different perspectives and expertise. A chance to practice Spanish and experience living in a community setting.
Experiential Capital: Expand your life skills and learn about topics, such as farming, sustainability, biodiversity, and regeneration.
Spiritual Capital: Deepen your sense of connection with nature and the people here while enjoying hands-on work towards the creation of a more beautiful world. Deepen your personal spiritual practices and learn through sharing space with others on a similar path.
Living Capital: Enjoy the natural abundance of a place that contains 2.5% of the earth’s biodiversity.
Intellectual Capital: Experience the rich exchange of knowledge that takes place as a result of the variety of backgrounds brought in by different members of Los Higuerones.
Social Capital: Expand your network of people knowledgeable about and committed to building a more equitable, sustainable, and connected world.

We have the capacity to house up to 12 volunteers at a time. You will stay in a shared dorm with up to three others. There are two private rooms, but availability is not guaranteed.

Time Commitment

We prioritize volunteers who are able to stay for a month or more, but in certain cases we offer placements for shorter stays. There are also long-term opportunities available (for one year or more) for volunteers with specialized skills who are willing to take on more defined roles and greater responsibility within the organization.

Where We Are

We are based in Puerto Jiménez, a small beach town that provides access to the greater Osa Region and Corcovado National Park, an area of immense biodiversity. Buses to and from San Jose run daily from the bus station which is a 10-minute walk from our location.

Bus Information

Transportes Blanco-Lobo Express Buses San Jose --> Puerto Jimenez, Departs 12 pm and arrives at 7 pm

Barrio Mexico, antigua terminal de San Carlos, 600 norte del parque la Merced (San Jose - Sixaola Bus Stop)

Transportes Blanco-Lobo Express Buses Puerto Jimenez --> San Jose, Departs at 5 am

245, Provincia de Puntarenas, Puerto Jiménez

Puerto Jimenez Bus for exploring the area

Collectivo to Matapalo - Carate - Bosque del Cabo - Corcovado National Park

Places to Explore Nearby

Playa Preciosa (30 min bike ride) GP76+37C, Puntarenas Province, Puerto Jiménez

-bright blue waters

-huge stretch of beach

-bike through the jungle