Ramapo College of New Jersey announced on Mar. 13 that a group of its students participated in an alternative break service trip to Natuwa Santuairo de Vida Silvestre, an animal sanctuary in Aranjuez, Costa Rica, over the winter break. The trip allowed students to engage in experiential learning and community service while connecting with a different culture.
The program is part of Ramapo College’s mission to promote experiential learning, service to the community, and intercultural connection. Students spent ten days assisting with feeding and caring for animals at the nonprofit sanctuary, which focuses on rescuing, rehabilitating, releasing, and providing refuge for wildlife native to Costa Rica. Animals cared for included African tortoises, Australian parrots, marmoset monkeys, blue macaws, green-winged macaws, hyacinth macaws, sun conures, black carbon turtles, emus, and others.
Staff members Allene Shapiro and Cheyanne Shannon from the Center for Student Involvement accompanied students Emily Beck ‘28, Desiree Bounds ‘26, Luannee Hernandez ‘26, Jake Hessels ‘25, Mihir Jariwala ‘26, Anneris Martinez ‘27, Brianna Rached ‘26, Ashley Reategui ‘25, Jackie Reed ‘26 and Julia Rowan ‘28 on the trip. Each day began at 4:30 a.m., as participants prepared food and tended to the animals before breakfast. In addition to their daily responsibilities of feeding animals and performing care tasks as needed—including laying an emu they had cared for to rest after it passed away—the group immersed themselves in local life.
“As long as you come into this trip with this idea of openness, this willingness to learn and the willingness to serve, it’s the perfect opportunity,” said Mihir Jariwala. “You can really go so far in only a week of time. You can gain so much knowledge that honestly will change you for years.”
Brianna Rached described how experiencing another culture firsthand impacted her perspective: “In terms of education it brings more of a perspective,” she said. “The food was different; the culture was different; the air was different… everything about it was so different. You can hear about a perspective as much as you want but until you actually get to experience it … it’s kind of life changing.”
Alternative break trips are described by Ramapo College as opportunities for students from any discipline to participate in civic learning and community service focused on social issues such as environmental stewardship or community development. For spring break 2026, new groups will travel again—one returning to Natuwa Sanctuary in Costa Rica and another heading to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley for conservation work at Natural Bridge State Park.
