ASVO Buena Vista | ACICRC01-20 | 2023-03-03 - 2024-10-31 | ENVI,ANIM,EDU | Age: 18 - 99

The sea turtle conservation program is a scientific-based conservation activity in which the organizations involved try to increase the amount of sea turtle hatchings in order to give higher survival rates. The camps are located within walking distances from the beach. Apart from the sea turtles, you will also have high chances of seeing tropical birds, iguanas, monkeys... The biodiversity is a very important point of these places. The main goal of these projects is to help the recovering of sea turtle populations. The species of sea turtles that you can find on these beaches are Olive riddle, Leatherback, Black or green sea turtle, Loggerhead, Hawksbill turtle depending on which project and season you visit. Main Goals for all ASVO Sea Turtle Projects: o To patrol at night and in the morning and take care of the turtle nursery. o To do night shifts from: 22:00-00:00, 00:00-2:00, 2:00-4:00 (in the case of ASVO Buena Vista) o To build hatcheries o To supervise hatcheries o To count baby turtles and to release them o To do exhumations after the birth of the turtles o To assist in the collecting of scientific data (for example: examine the developmental stage of the turtle in the eggs) and to send this information to a biological institution o To maintain the infrastructure o To clean the beach o Community service (work for the community: neighborhood, schools, etc.) International volunteers support: 1- Buena Vista beach which is a nesting beach of approximately 1.8 km of length and limited in the north by the blind estuary and in the south by the river Buena Vista. The back of the beach is limited by a system of mangroves, which depend on water from the river and tides, beach slope is low ranging between 3 ° and 4 ° to swell, so the currents are strong which makes it an ideal place for surfing. The project is in the northern part of Costa Rica, in the canton of Nicoya. It’s located about 2,5 km from the Centre of Sámara (45 minutes).

Work: Volunteers will be working in: ● Maintenance of the infrastructure and surroundings ● Cleaning of the beach ● Transport of alimentation from the river to the project (1-2 days per week) ● Collecting of the information about the nesting activity (collection and measures of the eggs in the hatchery, marking of females) ● Monitoring and watching over the hatchery ● Liberation of the babies ● Collection of information about the nests ● Exhumation of the nests of the hatchery ● Night and morning patrols (every day a week, the duration depends on how many turtles are around, and the time to patrol is determined by the ocean tide) ● Working with the community ● Cooking (with coordinators) ● Night shifts (3 night shifts: 22:00-00:00, 00:00-2:00, 2:00-4:00)

Accomodation and food: ( ) Hosting situation provided by Local Family. (X) Hosting situation provided by the Project. The accommodation is very simple and not a luxurious hotel. You will be sharing your room with several volunteers (shared dorm with 21 beds), of course you will still be having your own bed.

Location: BuenaVistaSamaraGuanacasteCostaRica

Location and Leisure: The ASVO Buena Vista Project is located about 2.5 km from the center of Sámara, in the middle of Buena Vista Beach. In order to get to the project, the Buena Vista River has to be crossed (with a kayak or by walking through the river when there is low tide). Behind the project are private properties with local people which can be helpful in an emergency case. The beach (which is in a bit of an incline) is limited by Río Taranta (in the west) and by Río Buena Vista (in the east). Another prominent aspect of the project is a lot of flora and fauna (cows, horses, crabs, birds, snakes, insects (i.e., purrujas), etc.). The hospital is about 2 hours away (in Nicoya), so be especially careful when swimming in the ocean and working with certain tools, etc. The hatching space (turtle nursery) is located between the beach and the accommodation. The kitchen, the bodega (storage space), the toilets and the shower are located downstairs, the dorms (with 21 beds) upstairs. Additionally, a volleyball field can be found in the project. The sea at the Buena Vista Beach is not very calm, that is also the reason why you must wait for the right moment to swim in the ocean, and if you swim you have to be careful, because otherwise it can be dangerous (i.e., a lot of tree trunks). The project is not very close to a village, so it is very quiet and secure, and the environmental pollution is also less in comparison to other places. Electricity is limited as it is supplied by solar panels and therefore depends on the sunlight. The electricity powers a couple of light bulbs and is also used for charging phones.

Airport: SJO

Train/Bus station: Volunteers will be picked up at the airport.

Requirements: ● Has to be an organized, respectful person (Very important). ● Volunteers are needed with a strong desire for collaboration (teamwork), good attitude, and adaptability to coexist with certain conditions, those volunteers who have prior knowledge in biology or conservation of turtles (not a must) are preferred, it is considered an advantage if the volunteer has expertise in construction or carpentry. ● Basic Level of Spanish and/or English (not necessary, but it helps personally) ● To be respectful towards the internal rules of the project ● To love nature, as the main goal of these projects is the protection of turtles ● To be in good physical condition as the patrols imply long walks along the beach at night ● To be open to share accommodation and bedroom with other volunteers ● To be very flexible and to do different tasks during the day which may involve cooking and cleaning as volunteers may be also responsible of taking care of the camp ● Interest in environmental issues. ● The volunteer should enjoy working with people and foster good human relations. ● Proactivity is a must. (Initiative) ● Volunteer must be ready to work independently even when the coordinator is not present. ● Honest, responsible, punctual, positive person. ● Leadership Skills. ● Good attitude. ● Open to flexibility of schedules.

Volunteers will be picked up at the airport.

Language: eng

Extra Fee: 700 USD

The ASVO Sea Turtle Stations are permanent projects, so they receive volunteers all year long. They have a capacity of around 20 volunteers per week and there are no limitations in the number of female or male volunteers, but yes, we recommend volunteers to be adults (+18).