Why does this organization need volunteers?

Sea turtle conservation projects in Costa Rica are very important. The main goal of the Buenavista project is to help the sea turtle populations to recover. The species of sea turtles you can find on this beach are: Leatherbacks, Olive Ridley, Carey and Green Turtles. The sea turtles that nest in Costa Rica are one of the most ancient species on Earth today. Costa Rican beaches provide one of the most active nesting sites in the world for the Leatherback sea turtles. Leatherback Sea Turtles have been on Earth for over 65 million years and now are a highly endangered species. Their habitat spans the globe from the North Atlantic in the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific of New Zealand. Extraordinary creatures, they are thought to hold important secrets about biology and medicine yet to be learned by humans.

Leatherbacks are the largest turtle, reaching a shell length of 1.7 meters and a mass of 700kg. In 1980 there were over 115,000 adult females, but there are now less than 25,000 worldwide and they are close to extinction in the Pacific Ocean. If action is not taken soon to protect Leatherbacks in the ocean and on nesting beaches they will disappear in our lifetime. The Leatherback is so close to extinction that the emptying of just one nest of eggs has huge implications for its survival as a species. The main project of Buenavista is to protect nesting turtles from poachers and predators, and to provide safe nesting grounds and hatcheries for eggs and newborn turtles. As it is a relatively new sea turtle project, the Buenavista project is also quite small and not as well known as some of the other nesting areas such as Ostional or Tortuguero. Therefore sea turtle volunteers are very important to the success of this program and the protection of the sea turtle population in this area. The hatcheries need constant surveillance or many newborn turtles would dehydrate in the sun or fall prey to human poachers or other predators.

What tasks will you be required to fulfil?

As a sea turtle conservation volunteer at this site you will be involved with the following task:

Night patrols: walking the beach to protect turtles/eggs from poachers and predators. This job would not be done by a sea turtle volunteer alone. Staff from the park will accompany each sea turtle volunteer group. The reason why a sea turtle volunteer is important to help with this job is because many poachers try to gather the eggs or turtles during the night; so if there is a large patrol of people watching the shoreline the poachers will not approach the site as they know it is illegal to hunt sea turtles.

Collect eggs to transplant to the hatchery. This is an important job because sea turtle eggs are considered a delicacy and if not brought to the hatchery to be monitored they can easily be eaten by other animals or taken by poachers.

Assist each day to count the number of eggs found in each nest and relocate the eggs to a secure egg nursery.

Monitor relocated turtle nests to ensure that the eggs are secure and monitor the nest temperatures to ensure that they are at the best temperatures for hatching.

Assist with 24 hour hatchery surveillance. This particular job is very important as it is essential to keep newborn turtles hydrated until they are released. Sea turtle volunteers will also be part of the process of documenting how many sea turtles are born and how many die so that the park can keep records to monitor success rates.

- Counting, weighing and measuring baby turtles/maintaining accurate data.

- Releasing baby turtles into the ocean and ensuring they are swimming safely.

- Identify and account for turtle tracks on the beaches.

- Take biometric measurements of adult turtles.

- Make information signs regarding beach safety/protection of turtles.

- Environmental education in the community of Samara.

- Beach cleaning/garbage pick up and disposal especially in the immediate surroundings of the nesting zones.

- Work in the organic gardens and in trail building activities.

- General infrastructure maintenance: building and maintaining the hatcheries/dorm house.

- Assist with house garden/compost: the goal is for the project to be completely sustainable in the future.

Other tasks that you may be requested to preform outside of your core duties:

Sea turtle volunteers could help make educational signs to be put up along the beach and throughout the community explaining the importance of protecting the sea turtles.

How many days per week will you be working?

Volunteers work six days per week and Sunday is their day off.

How many hours per day?

Volunteers work in shifts which will change during the week. Shifts will generally be about six hours long and can be during the day or night.

What age-range will you be working with?

There are usually four members of the staff and they are in their twenties and thirties.

The number of volunteers at this project changes throughout the year. They range widely in age, experience, and nationality. However the majority of volunteers are in their twenties.

What kind of background may be useful at this placement?

Volunteers do not need to have any specific skills, however a background in biology or environmental sciences would be an asset and/or experience working outdoors.

Will you be required to operate any special equipment?

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What personality traits would be useful for a volunteer at this placement?

Volunteers must be eager and willing to work outdoors in hot temperatures, as they will often be patrolling the beach. It is also important that volunteers are passionate about the animals they are protecting, and do not mind living in basic conditions.

Who may have a difficult time at this placement?

Those who cannot live without electricity or running water, might have difficulty with this placement as the campsite is very basic. Potable water is brought from Samara (3km away). There are toilets and showers, and volunteers sleep in bunk beds in the second floor of a wooden house without walls.

What specific skills are they looking for at this placement?

What is the purpose of this organization?

ASVO (Association of Volunteers for Service in Protected Areas)is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that is dedicated to maintaining and preserving national parks, communities and beaches throughout Costa Rica. ASVO's mission is to promote the importance of preserving the environment by operating a number of grass-root conservation projects and conducting a variety of educational workshops throughout the country. Over the years environmental issues such as deforestation, species extinction, forest fires, and climate change have been addressed by the members of ASVO as they have worked to expand their programs to different regions in the country.

The organization was founded on January 27, 1989 in the response to the growing realization that although Costa Rica is renowned for their natural resources and biodiversity, there was very little awareness around environmental protection by many people who lived in Costa Rica. Originally, ASVO focused on the preservation of national parks but as the program grew they expanded to include projects such as sea turtle conservation, community education and habitat identification.

For over 20 years, ASVO has been striving to call the people throughout Costa Rica to work together to stop the devastating environmental problems. In an attempt to address some of these issues, the members of ASVO have partnered with different Costa Rican schools, government agencies, community groups, local and international volunteer organizations and other environmental agencies. Through these partnerships the members of ASVO hope to raise awareness and encourage people to get involved to help solve these pressing issues.

The issues that ASVO are trying to address are very important for a number of reasons. In Costa Rica the government has allocated more than 25% of the countries land as National Parks or areas where ecosystems should be protected. The challenge is that the Costa Rican Government is unable to fund all the jobs, resources and supplies required to ensure that each area is constantly maintained, monitored and that required data that is needed to be collected from each park is conducted and kept up to date. Therefore organizations like ASVO play an important part in helping to achieve environmental objectives set out by the Costa Rican Government.

Although ASVO initiatives comprise of a number of different goals the three dominant ones include deforestation, illegal hunting or poaching of endangered species and promoting educational seminars to a wide range of people. Each of the above are important to address.

During the 1990's Costa Rica had one of the worst deforestation rates in Latin America. According to reports issued by "State of the World's Forests" at the beginning of the century they had approximately 99 percent of rain forest coverage that diminished quickly to 88 percent and by the 1940's the rain forest coverage was down to 35 percent. Now with the help of government initiatives and organizations like ASVO the current rain forest coverage is at about 50 percent.

The reason that forests where being cut down at such alarming rates were for two primary reasons: a) increased demand for cattle b) lush wood that could be exported to other countries who were wanting that commodity and it provide increased revenue for the country to improve things like infrastructure. There was a high demand from the United States for beef exported from Costa Rica which provided incentives for people to increase agricultural output and start cattle farms. Many historians believe that the increase demand for exported cattle was the the number one cause of the rapid decline in the cutting down of massive areas of rain forests.

Although deforestation has stopped dramatically, the existing forests are still under threat by illegal logging in protected zones, agricultural development in protected zones, and the need for increased environmental awareness projects to stop people from continuing to impact protected land areas.

The increase of deforestation has put a huge amount of pressure on existing ecosystems in Costa Rica. As trees were cut down the natural habitats for so many species became inhabitable. This causes growing concern and challenges because of Costa Rica's vast variety of wildlife that is found throughout the country. As a result the number of flora and fauna that are on the list of possibility of becoming distinct continually grows.

In recent reports from the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment and Energy have stated that more than 500,000 species live within the country. This represents 4 % of the total number of species estimated worldwide. As a result, Costa Rica is listed in the top 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. Therefore, organizations like ASVO have an important role to help preserve the natural wonders of Costa Rica.

ASVO has been very successful at setting up grass-root initiatives that are designed to help increase patrolling of park grounds to ensure the park lands are kept safe; that endangered species like the leather-back turtle have a safe place to lay their eggs and a hatchery to monitor them when they are young plus creating educational seminars to various demographics. However, perhaps one of their greatest achievements is providing educational seminars to people whose livelihoods depend on illegal poaching or cutting down trees on protected land, by explaining the impacts this type of activity has on the ecosystems of Costa Rica. In many cases they have not only provided education but demonstrated alternative ways to make money so that they would not have to depend on poaching endangered animals as a way to make a sustainable income.

What community(s) does this organization assist?

ASVO places volunteers in national parks and other areas protected by the Ministry of Environment and Energy all over the country. The organization currently has stations in twenty-eight different locations all over Costa Rica, from Corcovado in the south to Guanacaste in the north. These projects are divided into four categories: Wildlife Refuges, Education in Communities, Sea Turtle Projects and National Parks.

All over Costa Rica, deforestation, pollution, poaching and lack of education are causing the precious biodiversity of this country to be lost and delicate ecosystems to be damaged. ASVO strives to provide educational seminars to not only the communities where they have projects in twenty-eight communities but also to provide educational materials and information to all Costa Ricans. To achieve this massive task volunteers are important as they need the energy of many people to combat the many forces threatening the natural elements of this beautiful country.

Does this organization have any religious affiliations?

ASVO does not have any religious affiliations and does not discriminate against individuals who do affiliate themselves with a particular religious sector.

When was this organization founded?

This organization was started on January 27th 1989 by a group of concerned Costa Rica citizens which included several retired civil servants. The group believed that they needed to start actively promoting the importance of preserving the bio-diversity of their country to help ensure that the increase in pollution and population did not have drastic effect on the environment. Many of the original members remain on the board in advisory positions.

How are they funded?

ASVO is currently funded by donations, government grants and private donations. They are always looking for new ways to generate money to improve ranger stations, equipment and data collection materials.

How many people at the organization speak English?

Of the twelve staff members at head office in San Jose, five are fluent in English; with the remaining seven having some knowledge of the language and varying degrees of conversational skills.

If you find sponsors interested in sending donations, here is what they need:

Your time and enthusiasm are the most important things you can bring to this organization. Specific donations required will vary according to the project. Volunteers,(if interested), should inquire with the BaseCamp Program Coordinator in Costa Rica to receive a donation wish list that is appropriate to the specific project that they will be working at.

At head office, donations of laptops or desktop computers would be most appreciated, as well as any kind of office supplies.

Location description

Playa Buena Vista, is located in the Guanacaste province three kilometers to the north of Samara Beach and it belongs to the Tempisque Conservation Area. The camp site is 300 meters from the ocean and therefore a sea turtle conservation volunteer can spend each day in this beautiful oasis. There are mangroves that are in the back of the park and the Rio Buena Vista is a few meters away. You will have the chance to see, apart from the sea turtles, many crocodiles, iguanas and other marine creatures.

A Costa Rica sea turtle volunteer will stay in a campsite with other sea turtle conservation volunteers and the staff at Buenavista National Park. The campsite is very rustic but previous sea turtle volunteers have really enjoyed the natural setting of the park. The camp consists of a wooden house and a sea turtle hatchery. The house has two floors, the first being open concept (it has no walls) and the second is a dormitory containing bunk beds. There is also a kitchen, a dining area and washroom facilities.

Previous sea turtle conservation volunteers have commented that location more than makes up for its lack of modern conveniences; as the camp is nestled right in front of the beach. Surrounding the campsite, there is a mangrove forest and beautiful flowers that grow throughout the year. There are almost no people living close to the project, so the beach is used primarily by Costa Rica sea turtle volunteers.

Historical significance of the area

Buenavista, is a semi intensive nesting beach with more than one hundred nests per season. Despite this, it does not have an official category of protection. Buenavista was initiated to protect the turtle nests from depredation and harvesting and to do scientific data collection, including measuring turtles and marking them to be able to make recommendations so authorities could regulate the activities that took place in that zone.

Right now there are four species of sea turtles that come frequently to the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica:

- Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys Olivacea)

- Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas Agassizi)

- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)

- Leatherback (Dermochelys Coriacea)

They are endangered species due to intense development of infrastructure on the beaches, excessive lighting that confuses the turtles, the traffic of people and vehicles, the taking of eggs and the destruction of nests, among others.

Many sea turtle volunteers help at Buenavista to preserve the nesting areas and continue to provide support to the staff in various areas such as patrolling and helping to organize educational awareness campaigns.

What is the weather like?

Playa Buena Vista, is quite hot and has the typical climate of the Pacific Coast, with two different seasons. The rainy or "green" season lasts from May to November, with September and October being the rainiest months. During the rainy season, mornings are usually cloudy and rain moves in during the afternoon.Although called 'the rainy season', this is slightly misleading as even during this season it typically only rains in the afternoons for a period of one to two hours, with the remainder of the day being quite sunny.

The dry season is from December to April. Temperatures range from about 25-35 degrees Celsius and the relative humidity ranges from 50% to 95%. The hours of daylight are approximately from 5.30 a.m. to 6 p.m with only slight variations throughout the year.

What fun things are there to do in the area on days off?

There are many nearby beaches to explore and a number of interesting sites to see. Samara Beach, is the nearest to the sea turtle site. To get there it is approximately a 25 minute walk. Samara Beach is noted by tourists, Costa Ricans and previous sea turtle volunteers as one of the most beautiful beaches in the Pacific. In Samara, a sea turtle volunteer can find internet access, laundry services, restaurants, bars, and a bank.

Some previous volunteers have enjoyed surfing in Samara as it is one of the best beaches in Costa Rica to learn to surf, due to the gentle waves. There are many places in which to rent a surfboard or receive lessons from an instructor to help you get started.

Ostional is another great destination to visit. Ostional is a wildlife refugee about 20 km north west of Buenavista. It is one of the few places in the world where thousands of sea turtles arrive at the same time to lay their eggs on a beach that is less than 4 kilometres long. Local guides can take you to see this amazing event if you arrive at the right time! If your interest is to be a sea turtle volunteer you will find this destination truly fascinating.

While at your placement, you can also travel to Parque Nacional Barra Honda about 50 km away. It is a dry forest with an immense network of caves. In these impressive caves visitors can explore deep chambers with numerous stalagmites that grow from the floor and stalactites that hang from the ceiling. Often, these stalactites and stalagmites unite and form columns that look like molten candlesticks.

Past volunteers have enjoyed visiting the Cabo Blanco reserve. It is located 50 km south of Buenavista and is the oldest protected area in Costa Rica. It ranks among the most beautiful nature reserves in Costa Rica because of the old growth forest and beautiful flora and fauna. It is worthwhile to hike along the paths until you arrive at the sea.

Tamarindo is another area definitely worth visiting. It is one of the most popular beaches for both foreigners and locals. Here you can find waves ideal for the more advanced surfer, do canopy tours, zip lining, snorkeling and much more! If you are interested in adventure travel this is the place for you!

Other activities available for a sea turtle conservation volunteer to do on their day off include dolphin watching tours, kayaking, horseback riding and jungle hiking.

How do you get to your placement after your orientation?

Take the bus from San Jose to Nosara - this bus trip will take approximately 5 hours. Get off the bus in Bomba de Samara (Gas Station of Samara), and get on a local bus going to Samara city. This should take about another 15 minutes. Once in Samara, take a taxi to Buena Vista River. When you get to the river, your sea turtle volunteer coordinator will be there to pick you up.