Study Abroad in Costa Rica: Explore Environmental & Social History in Summer 2026!

Scroll this

Join us this summer for Changing Natures: Environmental and Social History in Costa Rica at the Las Nubes EcoCampus, taking place June 7-16, 2026!

This unique study abroad opportunity combines academic learning with immersive, field-based experiences in one of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

Taught by Professor Jennifer Bonnell, this course explores the history of ecological conservation in southern Costa Rica. Through readings, discussions, field trips, and guest speakers, students examine the successes and trade-offs of environmental protections, and their impacts on local farmers and communities.

Students will also gain hands-on skills in project planning, research ethics, oral history, and audio production, while engaging directly with community members and area experts.

The course is open to all York University undergraduate (3rd and 4th year) and graduate students. The course is also open to grad students and senior undergrads from other universities (with a letter of permission from their university). 

Don’t miss this opportunity to study history, environment, and community in Costa Rica!

Important Dates & Registration Instructions

Step 1: Check your eligibility here [Non-York students must request a letter of permission from their home institution –see details under the ‘information for non-York students on our website] & and attend an information session: 

September 25, 2025 | 10 AM | Zoom registration

Step 2: Save your spot. Deadline: January 23, 2026. Courses are capped at 25 students. Spots are considered on a first come first serve basis.

Step 3: Enroll in the course(s), submit forms and program fee, and attend a mandatory session

Visit our website for full course details, session dates, eligibility, and registration info.

Find More Information Here
  • Join us this summer for Changing Natures: Environmental and Social History in Costa Rica at the Las Nubes EcoCampus, taking place June 7-16, 2026!
  • Join us this summer for Changing Natures: Environmental and Social History in Costa Rica at the Las Nubes EcoCampus, taking place June 7-16, 2026!
Feature Image: “Costa Rica Sunset” by JetPunk.com is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profile

Jennifer Bonnell

Associate Professor at York University
Jennifer Bonnell is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at York University. She is the author of Reclaiming the Don: An Environmental History of Toronto's Don River Valley (University of Toronto Press, 2014) and Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia (Royal BC Museum, 2023). She is co-editor with Sean Kheraj of Traces of the Animal Past: Methodological Challenges in Animal History (University of Calgary Press, 2022) and with Marcel Fortin of Historical GIS Research in Canada (University of Calgary Press, 2014). She is currently working on an environmental history of beekeeping and environmental change in the Great Lakes Region in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

NiCHE encourages comments and constructive discussion of our articles. We reserve the right to delete comments that fail to meet our guidelines including comments under aliases, or that contain spam, harassment, or attacks on an individual.