Costa Rica - Turtle and Wildlife Conservation

Volunteer role at the project:

Volunteers live and work at a research centre on the stunning Southern Pacific Coast – a region well known for its high biodiversity. Volunteers are able to participate in a number of active scientific research projects throughout the year, and support turtle conservation work during the turtle season.

Wildlife monitoring (year-round)

Volunteers support important wildlife research:
• Birds – bird watching surveys take place 2-3 times a day in morning and evening, volunteers learn to identify and record birds spotted in the forest
• Monkeys – surveys are carried out twice a week in the forest, looking for nearby troops of Capuchin and Howler monkeys
• Bat monitoring
• Other mammals – the reserve has about 15 species of mammals, including ocelots, coatis, raccoons and tayras
• Crocadillians – the team monitor and observe American crocodiles and Caimans during fortnightly night surveys
• Reptiles (snakes) and Amphibians – survey night walks are carried out 1-2 times a week

Turtle conservation season (July to January)

In addition to the above wildlife projects, during the turtle season volunteers also help the team by:
• Monitoring the nesting beaches to look for nesting turtles, this includes night patrols
• Relocating eggs to the hatchery (if the nests are considered to be at risk)
• Looking after and observing the hatchery, duties generally start at 8am
• Assisting with data collection, monitoring (tagging) and release of hatchlings
• Beach cleans and maintenance

The nesting season starts from June – August, peaking in September – October, with nesting starting to decrease from December.

The local organisation:

For over 10 years, the project has been working closely with the local community to educate and enable them to develop sustainably whilst protecting local wildlife species. During this time staff and volunteers they have released over 60,000 hatchlings and protected over 172 acres of coastal land. The research carried out by the team has been used to inform conservation practices locally and at national level.

Local area:

The reserve is located in beautiful, unspoilt coastline – with beaches, forest and waterfalls. In your free time you can relax on the beach, visit nearby national parks or try out local activities including horseback riding, snorkeling and diving.