osa in-water volunteers info 2015 - rescue center in-water volunteers info 2015.pdf · last% – %...

LAST –

Latin American Sea Turtles

COSTA RICA

OSA IN -‐ WATER VOLUNTEERING

General Information

2015

LAST/WIDECAST Volunteering Osa In-‐Water -‐ 2015

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE COSTA RICAN SEA TURTLES!

LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles) is part of WIDECAST’s (Wider Caribbean sea Turtle Conservation Network) Latin American Program in Costa Rica, including efforts not only on the Caribbean Sea but also on the Pacific. WIDECAST is an expert network of biologists, managers, community leaders and educators in more than 40 nations and territories, committed to an integrated, regional capacity that ensures the recovery and sustainable management of depleted sea turtle populations. We as LAST ask ourselves: What would a sustainably managed sea turtle population look like? What would it look like to a government? To a fisher, a coastal community, a child? To an hotelier, a dive operator, a tourist? What would it look like to a reef, a sea grass bed, a sandy beach? Each of these entities, and many others, relies upon and/or benefits from the sea turtle population in measurable ways. Borrowing the parlance of sustainable development, a sustainably managed sea turtle population might be defined as one that meets the needs – ecological, economic, socio-cultural, political, aesthetic, and spiritual – of the present without compromising the ability of the population to fulfill these roles in the future. To this end, LAST seeks to bring the best available science to legislation and policy; to education, training and outreach; to conservation and advocacy; and to in situ research and population monitoring. If policies aimed at sustainability are our goal, what do such policies look like? What role can an individual (a community, a nation) play? This site is designed to empower you to make more informed choices, choices rooted in the belief that the decisions we make today will create the choices and opportunities of tomorrow, just as the decisions of generations past have painted the landscape that we see today.

JOIN THE CONSERVATION! EXPLORE, LEARN AND ACT!


Contents About us ........................................................................................................................................................2 Osa In-‐water ..................................................................................................................................................2

How can you help? ............................................................................................................................................... 3 In-‐Water Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Rescue and Rehabilitation Center .................................................................................................................... 4 Mangrove Reforestation Program .................................................................................................................... 4 Sea grass Monitoring ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Local Community .............................................................................................................................................. 5

Accommodations and food .................................................................................................................................. 5 Olive Ridley Category........................................................................................................................................ 6 Black Sea Turtle Category ................................................................................................................................. 6 Leatherback Category ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Hawksbill Category ........................................................................................................................................... 6

What you can expect from us .........................................................................................................................6 Payments .......................................................................................................................................................6 What can you expect? ...................................................................................................................................6 Please NOTE ..................................................................................................................................................7 What to bring? ...............................................................................................................................................8 How to participate .........................................................................................................................................9

Other Services ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Airport pick up .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Stay in San José .............................................................................................................................................. 10

Contact Information ..................................................................................................................................... 10


About us LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles) is part of WIDECAST’s (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network) Latin American Program, including conservation efforts not only on the Caribbean but also on the Pacific coast. WIDECAST is an expert network of biologists, managers, community leaders and educators in more than 40 nations and territories, committed to an integrated, regional capacity that ensures the recovery and sustainable management of depleted sea turtle populations. In 1986 WIDECAST started working on protecting the Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting population at Gandoca beach in Costa Rica. Since then we have been realizing even more projects alone and in cooperation with other organizations. WIDECAST and its partners have put a strategy into practice combining conservation and sustainable development through activities that directly benefit both, the people and the environment. The focus has been on establishing the conditions for a self-sustaining process, involving work in the broad areas of conservation, economic development, training and education, organization, and advocacy.

The project Osa In-Water is located on Playa Blanca, close to Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula in the southern Pacific province of Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The surrounding landscape of Playa Blanca is a lot of flat farmland, however most of the Osa Peninsula is under some kind of protection. The reason why is because this area is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots worldwide, with a vast variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. The Golfo Dulce, one of the four tropical fiords worldwide, hosts additionally a fascinating marine life – including sea turtles! In other words, at our Osa in-water project you will be surrounded by a natural paradise!

The Osa In-Water project was founded in 2010, after WIDECAST had worked very successful with this in-water monitoring method in Cahuita, in the South Caribbean of Costa Rica since 2007. The dynamics of the local sea turtle populations is poorly understood, and while some information on females has been gathered from nesting beaches, little is known about population structure, genetic origin and in-water habitat use.

Sea Turtles spend only 1% of their life on the nesting beaches and due to this behavioral pattern, only adult females may be studied. Little, if none information is available about juvenile population, and sex ratios of adult populations. Following this, there is a need of entering habitats used by sea turtles in different life stages to assess the types of threats sea turtles are exposed to in nesting beaches, as well as coastal and pelagic waters.

Osa In - water


In Golfo Dulce LAST is working mainly with the Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Pacific Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), also known as the Black Sea Turtle. Both species like all sea turtles are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Pacific Green Sea Turtle is ranked as “Endangered” and the Hawksbill Sea Turtle as “Critically Endangered”, which means if we don’t take serious measures, it is very likely that they will become extinct. For that reason, every helping hand is welcome!

How can you help? The project recruits national and international volunteers to support our field work as part of the research and conservation project. It is essential that the monitoring and tagging efforts continue for a better understanding of the presence of different size classes of these species, as well as the role of the animals in the reef, and the use given to the different habitats studied and their health status. Volunteers support our scientists and research assistants in the field work, where tasks include the support in our four working areas:

In-Water Monitoring Foraging sea turtles are mainly found in shallow (<50m), hard- bottom substrates or sea grass beds in coastal areas, in some cases around coral reefs. By sampling the Golfo Dulce, it is possible to gain information on the demographic structure of the population, such as abundance of immature, adults, male and non-breeding females, and their behavior.

Parameters Studies: -‐ Identification of resident individuals -‐ Demographic structure of the resident population -‐ Definition of aggregation areas of individuals of different ages -‐ Habitat use and

behavior

Methods: Surveys will be conducted twice a week (weather permitting) and will consist of:

Ø Capture/Recapture of turtles using nets:

Once a sea turtle is caught we untangle them from the net, take them into the boat. We check every individual if there are wounds or anomalies. Then we take data of the biometry of the turtle (size of the carapace) and tag them with metal and PIT tags in case the sea turtle doesn't have any tag, and take tissue samples to examine the mitochondrial DNA to reconstruct the lineage of the females. All the data (size, tag-number, sample numbers) needs to be recorded in a


clean and correct manner. Volunteers will be asked to support in:

• Untangle captured sea turtles • Lifting sea turtles into the boat • Carrying material and field equipment to the boat and back to the storage • Keeping the material tidy • Preparing and ordening the net • Untangle deployed net (with snorkel) • Watching depoyed net to detect as soon as possible when a sea turtles got catched. • Recording scientific data • Hold sea turtles calm and humid • Measuring biometrics

Note: tasks like tagging and taking tissue samples are exclusively done by our staff or experienced participants to avoid unecessary injuries.

Rescue and Rehabilitation Center If we catch a weak sea turtle, receive one from another beach or find one, we will take it to our field rescue center at the project site. Patients are usually very stressed already, the reason why it is very important to be quiet trying to make the patient as comfortable as possible. Part of this is keeping the sea turtle’s water clean and the temperature in a reansonable level without bothering. Sometimes we have Hawksbill patients with an ectoparasite Stephanolepas muricata, a barnacle which we treat with a freshwater treatment of 24 hours. Volunteers are asked to help with:

• The water change • Tank cleaning • Lifting and holding sea turtles if needed • Watching patient if necessary • Helping with removal of barnacles • Recording scientific data • Hold sea turtles calm and humid • Measuring biometrics

Keep in mind, having no patients in the rescue center is a good sign. Conditions in captivity are only done if considered to be nessesary and follow international and national criteria.

Mangrove Reforestation Program Mangroves play a very important role in the coastal ecosystems of de Golfo Dulce. Not only are they benefitting fishes, birds, invertebrates and humans, but also sea turtles. This is why


LAST started a reforestation program in Playa Blanca, to recover mangrove areas that have been destroyed in the past. Volunteers are asked to support with:

Ø Looking for seeds Ø Getting mud for the plants and seedlings Ø Sow seeds into plastic bags in our nursery Ø Bringing the propagules to the designated planting place when

they reach a certain size and plant them Ø Maintenance work of the nursery

All activities, except the work in the nursery, depend on the low tide time. Consider that you will be working mostly in the mud or with mud, which is the reason we recommend not to wear new cloth or shoes including also your favorites.

Work with mangrove reforestation is rather a new activity with barley no local scientific information.

Sea grass Monitoring Sea grass meadows are a crucial reason why we can find sea turtles in the Golfo Dulce. They also provide ecosystem services that rank among the highest of all ecosystems on earth. In the Golfo Dulce they haven’t been studied, whish makes all data very important.

The sea grass monitoring is usually only done in presence of enough volunteers, very low tides at the right time, which can be very challangeing, specially considering unpredictable variables.

Local Community Playa Blanca and the surrounding communities are all small, rural villages with lots of tradition and rich culture. The socio-economic situation is not easy and the remote location

Part of our filosophy is to involve the local community in our project – making the volunteers’ experience much more authentic, cultural and enjoyable. They area our partners.

In our Osa In-Water project we are offering now different accomodation categoríes in host familie’s places or cabins that offer different kind of services. All of them have become part of our

voluntourism project participating in meetings and commiting to conservation. Experience the Osa Peninsula in a completely new way! Accommodations and food All our host families offer comfortable accommodations which include three delicious

traditional meals per day. All families have been through a process with LAST committing to


the sea turtle conservation with recycling, saving water and other conservation efforts locals can do to help sea turtles. Not all host families speak English, however, this has never been an obstacle to have a unique and unforgettable experience.

We have four different categories which all include different services and amenities. However, all of them guarantee comfortable rooms or cabins for your precious sleep and meals to keep you full of energy for your work with the sea turtles and their habitat. Olive Ridley Category - $50 per night These accommodations are located further away inland, so you will be travelling with a bicycle to get to the Project in Playa Blanca. The places are located in very calm places surrounded by green and the lush nature of the area. These accommodations’ rooms are individual, sharing the bathroom. There is also the option to stay at the beach in Playa Blanca, where you get to share your cabin with up to 9 more people sharing a bathroom together.

Black Sea Turtle Category - $55 per night These cabins and rooms have the maximum capacity of 5 people

each with private bathrooms or shared bathrooms sharing with 3 people. They are either located close to the beach (1 km) or 2 minutes from the

beach and project site.

Leatherback Category - $60 per night This room has the maximum capacity for 2 people with private bathroom. It is located close to the beach at 1 km bicycle ride from the project and right at the bus stop. This room is close to La Palma and the beach of Playa Blanca. Your meals will be flexible according your preferences inside the possibilities of your host.

Hawksbill Category - $70 per night These cabins have the maximum capacity for 4 people. All count with a private bathroom. They also present additional amenities like a own TV with SKY-TV and Air conditioner located 1km form the project and beach or with WiFi in communal area of cabins at the beach close to the

project.


Rates and Payments Besides the accomodations and food costs there is an inscription fee of $40.

Our prices reflect the needs we have as a non-profit organization dedicated to sea turtle conservation and the improvement of local livelihoods. Rates support our expenses and make possible to provide you the introduction, theoretical and practical training, volunteer’s manual, equipment and material for conservation work, environmental education, workshops for socioeconomic alternatives,

professional assistance, three meals a day and lodging.

The total fee should be paid before traveling to the project through the Register Form on-line at: http://www.rescuecenter.com/turtleProgram.php We accept Master Card, Visa, American Express, Discover; you can also pay by Western Union, Money Gram and Bank Wire. If you have any questions please write to: [email protected]. Travel costs are not included in the fee. Volunteers should plan approximately US$ 25 for the public bus from San Jose to Osa (one way).

In case you are older than 20 and have some environmental/biological background, and want to participate for 3 month, you can apply for one of our Research Assistant positions. Just ask for further information at [email protected].

What you can expect from us • Food for three meals a day • An educational scientific presentation about sea turtles and how to work with them • Practical training in data collection (how to take measurements, tagging, tissue

sampling etc.) • Access to staff and biologists for gaining insight professional conservation work • The opportunity to speak Spanish with the locals and English with the volunteers • A unique opportunity to gain valuable field work experience in the conservation of

endangered species

What we expect from you • You must be in good physical condition, able to work hard and live in basic conditions • Be open minded, flexible and enthusiastic about hands-on work • You should know how to swim

Accommodation ü Food and drinks ü Training ü

Volunteer’s Manual ü

Practical training ü

Travel costs NOT included, about $50

Free time activities NOT included


• You must have travel/medical insurance • You must not abuse illegal drugs, drink alcohol during working hours/or work under

influence of them. • You must be 18 or older; volunteers younger than 18 years need a supervisor with

written permission and liability waiver signed by their parents • We recommend having basic knowledge of Spanish

Please NOTE The idea of working to help save the endangered Sea Turtles is a very romantic one. The reality is a very different experience. When deciding if this is the type of work you would like to be involved in, please remember that the project in Osa is a research project in a rural community. Methods like taking DNA or blood samples might appear rough and painful for the turtle. If you do not like to see blood or want to handle a turtle with the needed strength, please do not apply for the project in Osa. The surrounding communities are small and traditional, they may appear basic from what you are used to.

• There may be times when volunteers will be asked to work more than 30 hours/week, but also times volunteers don’t have a lot to work to do and can spend their time on their own exploring the area.

• The work will continue during rain or otherwise enduring weather patterns. • Playa Blanca is on the Peninsula de Osa with a tropical climate. This means it is

hot with almost 100% humidity; it rains frequently and sometimes heavily. Your cloth and other personal items may suffer under the consequences and will need more maintenance (cleaning and washing) than you are used to.

• In the area there are sand flies and mosquitoes that are unpleasant. Some mosquitos may carry Dengue fever – don’t forget your repellent and anti-itch cream!

• The place is situated in a remote location. Accommodation and food are basic and adapted to the local habits. This also includes the fact that not many local people speak English.

• Working hours in marine conservation project and schedules vary and can change according to the situation/available material/weather/tide or patient.

• Working with the turtles is a brilliant and unforgettable experience, and we can use any help. However, this experience is not for everyone.


What to bring? Documents to for Registration:

• A photocopy of the first page of the passport (with photography) • A copy of the health insurance!

Clothing: Pack for hot weather and dirty conditions. Lightweight and fast-drying articles are best. Don’t bring denim. It NEVER dries in tropical humidity.

• Besides sufficient t-shirts and shorts, also light long sleeved shirts and long trousers for the night, it is the most effective mosquito protection

• Raincoat or poncho • Quick dry shorts/ shirts for day work • Plenty of socks/ underwear • Swimsuits • Sunglasses/ hat • Towels

Footwear: • Close toed beach shoes that can get wet, very important for the onboard work

(for example crocs work very good) • Hiking shoes or boots – comfortable and broken in • Tennis shoes/ sneakers for free time • Flip flops/ sandals for free time

Gear: • Torch or headlamp • Extra batteries, or a solar charger with rechargeable batteries (recommended) • Waterproofed watch • Sunblock • Mosquito net and insect repellent (!) • Alarm clock • A water bottle


• Day backpack • Drybag • Plastic bag for your backpack should it rain on the boat.

Personal Items: • Toiletries (biodegradable products are best). • Personal first aid kit with personal medication. • Camera, cell phone, notebook, books, games, snorkel gear (flippers not

necessary), instruments, music player etc. Don’t forget, these items safety are under your own responsibility. Humidity, salty air and sand may damage your electronic devices and have in mind, that you will be in is a remote and rather poor community.

• Money for transportation, phone calls, souvenirs, other activities.

How to participate Volunteers are welcome to the project all year round. Minimum stay is 7nights / 8 days.

To participate, just fill in the online Register form. Before leaving to the project, please contact us at [email protected] to confirm your reservation and to give you final information and instructions on how to get to your host family.

Other Services

Airport pick up If you need an airport pick-up we can arrange that for you. Just get back to us after you have your plane ticket and send us the airline, flight number and arrival time with enough time. Ask about prices and details our volunteers coordinator.

Stay in San José If you come to Costa Rica between Monday and Friday, we can offer you to stay on your first and/or last night(s) at LAST office in San José, Tibás our dorm. The room is part of the office which gives you the opportunity to meet and communicate with the people from LAST before going to the project. Meals are not included. Of course, you are free to stay where you would like during your time here and explore additional options. We can recommend Casa Yoses, Hotel Aranjuez and Costa Rica Backpackers, for example.


Contact Information Rescue Center 2053 NW 79th Avenue SJO E125Z Doral, FLORIDA 33122 Phone: +506-6048 1115 E-mail: [email protected] www.rescuecenter.com