Green Season · May – October
Rainforest & Rivers Term
When the rains come and the jungle wakes up.
The green season is Costa Rica at its most alive. Mornings begin bright and clear, afternoon storms wash the mountains, and the forest hums with color, sound, and growth. It is a season for slower, closer study: of rivers, canopy, and cloud, and for the kind of contemplative rhythm that only a rainforest teaches.
Why this season is different
Costa Rica lives in two rhythms.
Predictable afternoon rains reshape the day: outdoor work happens in the morning, and afternoons move indoors or under cover for reading, seminar, and rest.
The land is at maximum biodiversity: cloud forests, thundering waterfalls, and swollen rivers create a completely different set of ecosystems to study up close.
Fewer travelers are on the coast, so students spend more time with local communities in their normal rhythms rather than tourist ones.
Days feel inward and reflective: more time with books, more time in worship, more time noticing small things. The season leans toward attention and depth.
What students do
Activities shaped by the season.
Cloud forest study
Hikes into Monteverde-style cloud forests to study epiphytes, orchids, and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth.
Waterfall & river ecology
Rain-fed rivers roar to life: perfect for freshwater ecology, safe swimming holes, and canyoning with certified guides.
Bird & wildlife observation
Peak migratory and nesting season. Toucans, sloths, and hundreds of bird species become part of daily life.
Coffee cycle at origin
Green season is planting and tending season on the farm. Students see the coffee cycle up close, not just harvest day.
Seminar & deep reading
Long, rainy afternoons make ideal conditions for Socratic seminar, deep reading, and writing.
Community-anchored service
Longer stays with fewer travelers mean deeper relationships with the same families and partner ministries week to week.
A day's rhythm
Morning liturgy at first light · Field study while skies are clear · Midday meal with the community · Seminar, reading, and writing as the rains come · Evening worship as the forest quiets.
Which season fits your student?
Both terms teach the same classical curriculum and follow the same rhythms of worship, study, and service. The difference is the weather, the land, and the activities the land invites.