Welcome to an exciting Costa Rica rafting trip near the Arenal Volcano with Desafio Adventure Company! This unique Costa Rica team building event, called the “Adopt a Tree” program, was organized for high school students from the Valle Azul (Blue Valley) Costa Rican public school to appreciate and conserve their local environment near the Balsa River.
Costa Rica Rafting Trip with a Purpose
This wasn’t just any rafting adventure. Beatriz Mata from our Human Resources Department designed this exclusive Costa Rica team building activity to teach students the importance of environmental conservation.
“It’s one thing to talk about ‘Saving the Earth’ and another thing is getting down and dirty to do something about it,” said Grettel Chavez, a Valle Azul high school student studying Sustainable Tourism, who helped organize the rafting trip for her class.
Preparing for the Adventure
The Valle Azul students began their team-building journey at the new Desafio Río Balsa Operations Center, equipped with lifejackets, helmets, and paddles.
Their first stop was the Trapiche station, an old-style sugar mill, where they enjoyed a taste of our Desafio Jungle Juice made from natural sugar cane grown at our operations center. This juice, rich in vitamins and minerals, provided a great energy boost for their adrenaline-filled rafting excursion.
Learning Safety and Teamwork
After enjoying their sugar drink, the students received a comprehensive safety briefing from our expert rafting guides. They learned how to paddle as a team and what to do in case they fell out of the raft. The Río Balsa, known for its pool-drop rapids and calm eddies, offers a safe and thrilling environment for rafting.
Rafting and Environmental Stewardship
“Our guide Marcos yelled ‘high-side right’ while we were on the river, and I didn’t understand how important it was to move to the right and paddle hard until it looked like we could have tipped over the raft,” Grettel said. “But Marcos knew what he was doing and took good care of us. We all had an amazing time! Marcos instructed the group to paddle hard and follow Desafio’s two company rules: 1) Be Safe and 2) Have Serious Fun!”
Once the rapids calmed down, the students jumped out of their rafts to collect plastic bottles washed up on shore and planted trees in designated areas along the river’s edge to prevent erosion. The trees, including Costa Rican hardwoods like cedar and wild almond species, were donated by the National University of Costa Rica and the Costa Rican Electricity Institute (ICE).
Conservation Efforts and Community Impact
The upper section of the Río Balsa is now a protected reserve, ensuring the preservation of this important biological corridor that connects the Arenal Volcano National Park area with the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. The Valle Azul students’ efforts in tree planting and river clean-up were a vital part of this conservation initiative.
Client Testimonials
Client comments from the Balsa River rafting in Costa Rica experience:
“Good morning on behalf of the entire group of Ecotourism students from Valle Azul –
As we mentioned Monday in class, we received the best care and attention from Desafio Adventure Company. We felt like VIP clients. My students and I as a teacher do not have words to thank Desafio Adventure Company and all the guides of your company for their high degree of professionalism.
We hope you will continue to take our high school into account for future Costa Rica team building activities.
Thank you for everything and it is a pleasure for us to have relations with your Costa Rica rafting company.