Birdwatching is no longer a passive sport, thanks to a new Costa Rican educational vacation package from the teams at the National Biodiversity Institute of Costa Rica (INBio) and Nature Air (the world’s first carbon-neutral airline). Enthusiasts of all experience levels will get down and dirty as local bird researchers take travellers through the scientific process of tracking migrant and resident bird species.

The new, 10-day Migrant Birds and Coastal Jungles package pairs eco-friendly bird lovers with INBio-selected researchers and biologists for a light-footprint journey through some of Costa Rica’s top national parks and research stations. Highlights of this educational eco-adventure include taking part in ongoing projects at the Costa Rica Bird Observatory (both in Tortuguero and San Gerardo de Dota), staying at some of the country’s top eco-lodges (including Si Como No Resort, Spa & Wildlife Rescue) and heading out on naturalist-led bird watching treks through dense jungles and on pristine beaches.

“This new package is part of our Footprints of Nature series: perfectly timed trips that reveal rarely witnessed biological events,” said Claire Saylor, director of marketing at Nature Air. “Our other two packages, which follow Costa Rica’s annual quetzal and sea turtle nesting seasons, have been wildly received by eco-travellers. We expect to host groups of 12 travellers for each Migrant Birds of Costa Rica and Coastal Jungles trip – each timed to coincide with the full moon.”

With two dates to choose from (Sept. 28 – Oct. 7 or Oct. 27 – Nov. 5, 2012), the package includes hotel accommodation (two nights in a river lodge near Tortuguero National Park, three nights in an eco-resort near Manuel Antonio National Park and four nights in San José); two round-trip, carbon-neutral flights with Nature Air; eight guided excursions with an ornithologist or expert naturalist; four interactive lectures on avian species and research projects; and meals. The cost, based on double occupancy, is $2,695 USD per person, with partial proceeds donated back to biodiversity research in Costa Rica.

Source: Nature Air