Volunteer Station

Quelonios of the Caribean

Costa Rica

The station "Quelonios Of the Caribbean", was created with the goal of developing a Marine Turtle conservation program along with the community of “Barra de Pacuare”, specifically with the Leatherback turtle, the Green turtle and the Hawksbill turtle that are the turtles that arrive to Pacuare Beach.

The station is located on the Caribbean sea (Atlantic Ocean) of Costa Rica, in the province of Limón in the town of Siquirres. Quelonios is 1 Km. north of the Pacuare River Mouth.

As mentioned above Pacuare Beach is the nesting zone for the Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), the Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and the Green Turtle (Chelonia myda), in the past the very people that now are protecting these turtles was the ones that use to hunt them for their meat and eggs. The project goal as others in Costa Rica is to change the native mentality son that instead of being hunters they become conservationist, in recent years the goal was achieved because as mentioned above now the entire population of Pacuare are working to protect and save the marine turtles and their eggs.

Quelonios Volunteer program lodging for all people who want to get involved in the protection of the marine turtles that arrive to Pacuare beach, the volunteers will get training on all the activities that are performed to help increase the turtles population.

The volunteer get the opportunity to work with other species such as aquatic birds, reptiles and fishes.

Summary

The station Quelonios of the Caribbean, are making its contribution to the sustainability of the marines turtles conservation project, to promote the long term survival of the marine turtles, as well as the promotion of the environmental education and the socioeconomic well being of the villagers.

It's indispensable to foment the biological investigation of the species, to identify and pursuit the components of the biological diversity that are important, for the conservation and sustainable use, just as to pay special attention to aspects that require the adoption of urgent measures of conservation. This is the reason why this project will offer great opportunity to make new investigations.

General Objectives

i) To protect and investigate in a professional, systematic and integrated manner , the marine turtles arrive and nest 2000 meters north and 2000 meters south of the Pacuare river mouth.

ii) To promote a policy of conservation within the settlers of the community of bar of Pacuare.

iii) To develop plans of environmental education, in the community of Pacuare bar, as in the near zones that have direct or indirect influence.

Specific objectives

a) To create a conscience and to incorporate the community of Pacuare bar, in the protection of the marine turtles that arrive to the beach of the community.

b) To implement and to execute a methodology of control and protection of the marine turtles.

c) To promote educative actions in the community of Pacuare bar and incorporate the social actors in activities that contribute to the improvement, protection and recovery of the ambient.

d) To establish a program of environmental education with emphasis in the education of the population of Pacuare bar and bordering zones so that they put in practice a plan of conservation of the ambient.

To See current Costa Rica Laws "LEYES PARA LA PROTECCION DE LAS TORTUGAS MARINAS"

Design by: Ing. Juan Alberto Salas Guillén for the Station Quelonios of the Caribbean

Email: jsalasg@costarricense.cr