Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica

Volunteer role at the project:

The project monitors and protects sea turtle populations by collecting data, placing eggs in safe hatcheries and patrolling the beaches to reduce the likelihood of poaching.

Volunteers will be allocated to one of the two research bases; North Beach or South Beach, depending on the needs of the project at the time. All tasks are managed on a rotational basis. There are two main volunteer roles:

Hatchery duty
This involves monitoring the hatchery site at regular intervals to check for any new arrivals (baby turtles which have hatched)! You will record data on the number of new hatchlings and then release them into the ocean. This is an incredible experience as there are often around 100 hatchlings in a single nest.

Night patrol
Every evening between 7pm and 7am (depending on the tides), the beaches need to be patrolled to reduce the likelihood of poaching; volunteers will assist a research assistant or member of staff with this and walk the length of the beach keeping an eye out for any adult turtles making their way to land in order to nest. If you do encounter a nesting female, you will help to collect data on her and catch her eggs in order to place them in the hatchery to avoid the risk of them being poached or taken by animals.

How the project is making a difference:

For over 15 years, the project has been working closely with the local community to educate them on the importance of protecting sea turtles and conserving these species. During this time they have protected and released hundreds of thousands of hatchlings.

The night patrols have had a remarkably positive impact, seeing a drop of around 80% in the number of nests that have been poached in the area.

Why volunteers are needed:

Volunteers enable the project to carry out additional patrols which reduce the risk of poaching. They also help the project’s scientists and research assistants to collect scientific data about nesting turtles in the area which is used to gain an understanding of sea turtle reproductive behaviour, and improve their conservation strategies in the future. Volunteers also help to monitor and maintain the hatcheries to ensure that incubation conditions are optimal for egg development.