INTREPID adventurers will have the chance to join a Dorset explorer on a trip to Costa Rica.

Colonel John Blashford-Snell is leading an expedition to the Osa Peninsula in July and needs more people to join him.

In 1979 the president of the Scientific Exploration Society took a party to the remote area of the Central American country to unveil a plaque commemorating a visit 400 years earlier by Sir Francis Drake.

Further trips to the beautiful Pacific coastline since then have seen teams from the global youth ventures Operations Drake and Raleigh provide aid for the local communities.

Now Col Blashford-Snell has been invited to return to aid the Corcovado park, which covers much of the wild, untouched area of the Osa Peninsular.

The park covers more than 42,000 hectares with the last tropical rainforest of the Mesoamerican Pacific area.

Its location, climate and topography combine to provide an amazing diversity of habitats.

It is home to a huge range of biological species including a number of endangered species such as the scarlet macaw, peccary, anteaters, sloths, tapir and different primates as well as five species of cat.

Four species of sea turtle lay their eggs on the jungle-fringed beaches and those taking part in the expedition will help protect the newly-hatched youngsters.

They will also help build two timber footbridges to improve access to the park, plus surveying and signing jungle trails.

The expedition will also distribute books to schools and reading glasses to the indigenous people as well as work with park staff on studies of the wildlife.

To encourage the children to respect the fauna and flora, woollen puppets of turtles, jaguar and a wild pig called the peccary, are to be handed out.

The production of puppets has been co-ordinated by Shirley Critchley from Poole.

Shirley, a member of the Scientific Exploration Society, has been on several expeditions and is keen to meet those who are able to knit these puppets.

Anyone interested in taking part in the once-in-a-lifetime trip is also being urged to sign up.

An expedition spokesman said: “Self-funded volunteers are now being recruited [and] John Blashford-Snell is looking for doctors, dentists, nurses, civil engineers, biologists and people able to assist with wildlife studies and community work.

“It is desirable that they speak some Spanish.”

The trip runs from July 1 to July 21. Visit johnblashford-snell.org or call 01747 854456.