By Alejandra Monge | Executive Director
Sea turtles are facing more threats to nests than before. Rising sea levels are leaving sea turtles with less and less space to lay their eggs. Tides erode nests, and predators dig out the remaining eggs or hatchlings. Nests that are relocated to the nursery double the chances of survival by removing all these threats.
Since May 2023, the foundation started recruiting local volunteers from nearby villages and other places in Costa Rica. These volunteers are staying at the refuge, and the foundation is paying for their food, equipment, and lodging costs, with the donations collected in the last year and during 2023.
Playa Hermosa-Punta Mala Wildlife Reserve stretches 13 km southeast along the Pacific from Hermosa's village to Esterillos Oeste's village. It encompasses wetlands, a small lagoon, a mangrove estuary, a rock reef, a tropical rain forest, and spectacular beaches with some of the best surf breaks in the world, especially in Playa Hermosa.
Mid-June was our official start day, and we received six volunteers. We had a certain point with nine volunteers and a cook in charge of fixing meals for the participants.
The volunteers have been working tirelessly to build the new nursery to put away the nests. The new nursery will start by hosting 200 nests. Volunteers have been moving sand with wheelbarrows from the beach to the nursery area, located on the side of the ranger station. This area is optimal because it is dryer and closer to the ranger station, allowing better protection of the nests.
This project is vital to protecting the sea turtle population that nests yearly in Punta Mala and Playa Hermosa. These two beaches show an extraordinary amount of sea turtle activity.
We are expecting about ten volunteers for a total of 150 nights of support to patrol the project. These international volunteers are also providing critical financial support to the project.
We are very grateful to our GlobalGiving supporters who made this project possible. GlobalGiving donations are 60% of the project funding. I deeply appreciate your support.
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
