The Global Classroom biological station and dorm, located in the Aula Global reserve, is open to high school and university groups, bird watchers and other nature enthusiasts. Located on the Pacific slopes of the Continental divide, the Aula Global reserve consists of over 500 acres of virgin rain forest and regenerating secondary forest. The property is critical habitat for Jaguar, Ocelot, Three-Wattled Bellbirds, the Resplendent Quetzal and countless plant and animal species who depend on its preservation for their survival. Student groups visiting the reserve will find plenty to explore and discover during their stay. Open areas around the research station offer excellent bird watching, butterfly identification and pioneer plant studies. Nearby streams offer excellent opportunities for complete studies of the mountain ecosystem. Petroglyphs found on-site have yet to be studied. If you and your group wish to be immersed in wild, pristine rain forest for the experience of a life-time, we urge you to contact the Global Classroom today and set up a private trip.

At Aula Global, you will discover a different side to Costa Rica than most see while visiting the country. We are located in a remote area untouched by tourism, offering an escape from popular tourist attractions, paved trails and environmental degredation associated with over-use. Because we want to avoid these impacts at Aula Global, we require all groups to pre-register, thereby limiting the number of people within the reserve. When you bring your group to Aula Global, it is all yours to enjoy!

When visiting the Aula Global Reserve, you may:

• Take a guided tour through the forest and meadows
• Spend a quiet day and evening in the rain forest, far off the beaten track
• Learn about and live in an absolute minimum impact environment
• Listen to the morning chorus of birds and insects and their continued singing throughout the day
• Volunteer to take part in a service work project
• Support a non-profit program dedicated to preserving and restoring rain forest habitat

Accommodations

Visitors will spend the night at our rustic research station,and sleep in the loft or on the porch of the dorm.The lodge comfortably sleeps 14, and we ask that groups be no larger than this, so as to limit the impact on the land. Bring your own sleeping bag as well as your own, easy-to-prepare food. We have sleeping pads, which are stored in the lodge. Access to our propane cooking stove will be available upon request. On occasion, you may also make an advance reservation to have a meal prepared by our staff at a modest cost.

Cost

Please contact The Global Classroom to find out about the group rate for the specific expedition you have in mind. This fee helps us to maintain our facilities, pay our staff, and cover transportation costs.

Walk Softly On The Earth

As previously mentioned, Aula Global is unique and unlike most other reserves in Costa Rica. In an effort to render the absolute minimum disturbance to the land, we have not installed canopy tour equipment, we have no paved roads or paths, and only a few hiking trails (though the trails are more than enough for a full-fledged exploration of the rain forest). Visitors are welcome to walk around the land as long as they agree to adhere to our strict rules regarding low impact. We ask that you honor our policy of keeping the Aula Global property entirely alcohol- and drug-free as well as our general policy of respect for nature at the reserve — you will be entering the home of thousands of other organisms. We believe that the richest experiences in the rain forest happen when humans stay quiet enough to fully take in the diversity of the wildlife that surrounds them. This kind of wilderness experience fosters a deeper connection to one's self and nature.