Beate Heycke
This project aims to protect four species of sea turtles of the west Pacific Ocean which are considered as (critically) endangerd, according to the IUCN Red List of Treatened Species: the Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriácea) and the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). We would like to reduce the vulnerability of the above listet sea turtle population, to conserve the nesting populations and to generate scientific data for the preservation of sea turtles nesting on Carate, Rio Oro and La Leona beaches on the peninsula Osa, Costa Rica.
Sign elaboration and maintenance “More turtles – less garbage”
We will build a hatchery in the beginning of the main nesting season.
Also doing systematic day and night patrols (with male locale guides and support of coast guards) of the beaches during nesting season to collect and relocate nests into the hatchery or to protect nests in situ with meshes. The purpose of these activities is to decrease the rate of poaching and the loss of nest by domestic animals predation.
Doing protection and systematic monitoring of protected nests on the beach and in the hatchery. Regular morning monitoring of the beach to collect important information about nesting numbers and predation rates. The purpose of the documentation of these variables is to assist other conservation efforts with clear and systematic data registered methodically over the years.
The tagging of nesting females provides unique information about the distribution and abundance of female turtles as well as estimates of inter-nesting intervals (the time between successive nests) and re-migration intervals (the number of years between nesting seasons for a given turtle).
As well we want to increase the participation in the preservation of sea turtles on a national and international base. Therefor it is very important to include the local community in order to show them the importance of conservation and create opportunities to gain an income based on conservation rather than poaching and commercialization of turtle eggs or gold extraction of this important natural habitat. To educate the children from Carate and surround in environmental topics is also one of our target (regularly children workshops).
We want to improve the collaboration and information exchange with sea turtle conservation networks in Costa Rica as well as Costa Rican government agencies such as MINAE (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía).
We have long lasting partnerships with international NGOs that are working with students on the Osa Peninsula gaining field experience and study sustainable conservation practices. All of them have to deliver their assigned field studies that could lead to publications of the collaborating universities supporting the international interest of this conservation project.