Sea Turtle Conservation & Environmental Education

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On behalf of the Corcovado Foundation, we wish you that all that is beautiful, meaningful, and joyful be yours this Holiday Season and throughout the coming year.

We are so grateful for all of you, your support, and your friendship! Thanks to you, we have had a fantastic year, bringing knowledge, assistance, hope, and even gifts to people all over Osa and beyond.

Thanks to you, we have been able to:

• Implement 43 Environmental Education sessions in 8 schools and one high school, in 9 different communities, 216 children reached.

• We have worked with 5 Environmental Groups in 5 communities for 125 workshops and conservation activities implemented.

• We have delivered 180 food packages to the elderly and vulnerable families, with 20 families reached per month.

• We have planted 2,142 trees on three private farms and in the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve.

• We have been carrying out reforestation, fauna monitoring, beach cleaning, and exchange with international students, with 18 students from the Drake school participating in the Junior Park Ranger Program with the Corcovado National Park

• We have organized forest restoration activities for more than 50 local people and volunteers.

• We support the design and consolidation of 3 integral Farms in 3 Drake communities.

• We have established a demonstrative project of bio-inputs and a vegetable garden in the Corcovado Foundation’s Biohostel in Progreso.

We organized a 4-day exchange in Sarapiquí with 14 cattle farmers and producers from Drake Bay to learn about regenerative agriculture and ranching.

• We have backed the construction process of the new high school in Drake Bay.

• We have helped organize 4 recycling collection campaigns, collected five and a half tons of recycling, and supported the Municipality of Osa and ECOINS.

• We organized one castration campaign in Progreso, where 37 dogs and cats were neutered.

• We completed a sustainable consumption plan for mussels (Anadara tuberculosa) for the Térraba Sierpe Wetland

• We have implemented a restoration process for 13 hectares of mangrove swamps in the Térraba Sierpe National Wetland and Bahía Tomas Mangrove.

We are so grateful for all of you, your support, and your friendship! Thanks to you, we have had a fantastic year, bringing knowledge, assistance, hope, and even gifts to people all over Osa Peninsula and beyond.

Español

En nombre de la Fundación Corcovado, le deseamos que todo lo que es hermoso, significativo y alegre sea suyo en esta temporada navideña y durante el próximo año.

¡Estamos muy agradecidos con todos ustedes, su apoyo y su amistad! Gracias a ustedes, hemos tenido un año fantástico, brindando conocimiento, asistencia, esperanza e incluso regalos a personas de todo Osa y más allá.

 Gracias a usted, este 2022, hemos podido:

• Implementar 43 jornadas de Educación Ambiental en 8 colegios y un liceo, en 9 comunidades diferentes, alcanzando 216 niños.

• Hemos trabajado con 5 Grupos Ambientalistas en 5 comunidades para 125 talleres y actividades de conservación implementadas.

• Hemos entregado 180 paquetes de alimentos a adultos mayores y familias vulnerables, con 20 familias alcanzadas por mes.

• Hemos sembrado 2.142 árboles en tres fincas privadas y en la Reserva Forestal Golfo Dulce.

• Venimos realizando actividades de reforestación, monitoreo de fauna, limpieza de playas e intercambio con estudiantes internacionales, con 18 estudiantes del colegio Drake participando del Programa de Guardaparques Junior con el Parque Nacional Corcovado

• Hemos organizado actividades de restauración forestal para más de 50 personas locales y voluntarios.

• Apoyamos el diseño y consolidación de 3 Fincas integrales en 3 comunidades de Drake.

• Hemos establecido un proyecto demostrativo de bioinsumos y una huerta en el Biohostel de la Fundación Corcovado en Progreso.

Organizamos un intercambio de 4 días en Sarapiquí con 14 ganaderos y productores de Bahía Drake para aprender sobre agricultura y ganadería regenerativa.

• Hemos respaldado el proceso de construcción de la nueva preparatoria en Bahía Drake.

• Hemos ayudado a organizar 4 campañas de recolección de reciclaje, recolectamos cinco toneladas y media de reciclaje, en colaboración con la Municipalidad de Osa y ECOINS.

• Organizamos una campaña de castración en el Progreso, donde se castraron 37 perros y gatos.

• Finalizamos un plan aprovechamiento sustentable del piangua (Anadara tuberculosa) para el Humedal Térraba Sierpe

• Hemos implementado un proceso de restauración de 13 hectáreas de manglares en el Humedal Nacional Térraba Sierpe y Manglar Bahía Tomas.

¡Estamos muy agradecidos con todos ustedes, su apoyo y su amistad! Gracias a ustedes, hemos tenido un año fantástico, brindando conocimiento, asistencia, esperanza e incluso regalos a personas de toda la Península de Osa y más allá.

Links:

• Happy Holidays

We are rolling up our sleeves and ready to return to work. We are looking for committed volunteers who can help us protect the beach. We are looking for donations to fix the ranger's station's roof and floors so we can provide reliable shelter to park rangers and volunteers.    We are starting late, but we are full of enthusiasm!

This year has been challenging for our turtle conservation program in Punta Mala. The previous Refuge management was reluctant to have nonprofit help with the sea turtle conservation efforts, and our project was closed. Politics are affecting these decisions. It is very frustrating that given the massive need of the nesting sea turtle population on this beach, officials could put their pride and personal interest on the turtle's needs. Luckily, the direction of the conservation area switched management, and the new refuge manager is focused on protecting the sea turtles to the best of his ability. He knows that he needs help and is relying on volunteers and donors' support to complete this task.

Costa Rica is one of those countries that has been deeply affected by climate change. Unfortunately, human activities make the situation worse. Overdevelopment and deforestation make the abundant rains even harder to manage. In addition, the rivers that populate the nesting beach are overflowing, which leaves less area for sea turtles to nest. To make things worse, the rivers bring tons of trash, making finding a nesting place even harder. Biologists and volunteers walk the beach in search of nests and then  relocated them to the nursery, where they are protected until they hatch to be released to the ocean inmediatly. 

The infrastructure in the area needs fixing up. We need more hands, and we need a team of biologists to help. This rainy season has not helped us either. The roof in the ranger station collapsed in some areas, and the floor needs to be stabilized. Without proper infrastructure and more hands to help us protect the turtles, these courageous ladies who risk everything to make it to the beach, won't find adequate nesting grounds. 

We are ready to get to work, and we are grateful for being part of our team and supporting our efforts!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!