Field Ecology and Environmental Science

Explore Costa Rica

Summer 2024

Portland Community College

check out our intro. video

Where we're going

Click the map to investigate in more detail!

For more information on credits, pre-requisites, and how to apply, visit PCC's Education Abroad website or the Costa Rica program page therein.

Instructor and Student Media and Testimonials

“I’m proud of myself for letting myself be challenged in sometimes uncomfortable ways, and I’m proud of the ways in which I’ve grown.”
“Normal people can become passionate enough about one thing to innovate and dramatically improve the state of things within their lifetime.”

Photographs from instructors and students in the Summer 2018 program. Quotes from students in the Summer 2018 program.

Sites and activities

CIEE Monteverde

Photo by Philip Barnette

Activities:

Forest Night hike
Coffee plantation tour
Hands on experience with turtle conservation and beach ecology
Snorkeling
Visit to Arenal Volcano

Research Stations and Parks:

Get to know your instructors

Sandy Neps is the chair of the Biology Department on the PCC Cascade campus. She led a successful PCC study abroad trip to Costa Rica during the summer of 2018 and again with Mark in 2022. She was a resident naturalist in CIEE San Luis in 2014.

Mark Fisher is a biology instructor on the PCC Rock Creek campus. He was a moth ecology researcher in CIEE San Luis in 2013 and studied abroad in Costa Rica himself when he was an undergraduate. He and Sandy co-led an Ed. Abroad program to CR in summer, 2022.