TURTLE CONSERVATION & VOLUNTEER PROJECTS
Beach Conservation & Clean Ups
Beach cleanups: Santa Teresa is known for its beautiful beaches, but they are also vulnerable to pollution. Volunteers can join local organizations to help clean up the beaches and prevent litter from entering the ocean.
Turtle Conservation
Costa Rica is home to several species of sea turtles, including the Olive Ridley and the Green turtle. Volunteers can help protect these endangered species by monitoring nesting sites, collecting data, and releasing hatchlings into the ocean.
Reforestation & Permaculture
Santa Teresa is a hub for sustainable living and permaculture farms. So is Jakera. Volunteers will work with local farmers to learn about organic farming techniques, sustainable living practices, and help with tasks such as planting, harvesting, and composting. We have our own composting in the camp.
Kids & Community work
Volunteers of Jakera can get involved in community development projects such as helping teaching at schools, renovating community centers, or organizing educational programs for local children.
Recycling & Bionics Center
Santa Teresa, like many coastal towns, faces challenges with waste management and recycling. Due to the lack of proper infrastructure, waste often ends up in landfills or littered on the streets and beaches, causing harm to the environment and wildlife. We are helping building & Maintenain Recycling stations and help in the only recycling center close by, twice a week at least.
BEACH CONSERVATION
Here we work alongside the ‘Santa Teresa Lifeguards’. Having seen the amazing beaches
of Santa Teresa, and adjoining Playa Hermosa and Playa Carmen, the recreational opportunities are clear. However, beaches need to be maintained to keep them clear of debris that not only looks unsightly but can cause harm to people and wildlife. Work includes promoting Lifeguard issues with regard to beach safety and etiquette (through signage, presentations and speaking to visitors), organizing clean ups with focus on recycling.
We also invented a “Public Microplastic Collection” where we animate beach walkers to grab a gallon, and collect some microplastic meanwhile the walk the beautiful beaches of Santa Teresa.
April 2021 - Earth Day
BLUE FLAG INICIATIVE
Formed in response to water and beach pollution, this government-backed initiative aims
to reward communities that adhere to their guidelines on conservation practice. By
awarding the Blue Flag, the communities gain international recognition for their beach and
can attract more tourists and investment.
TURTLE CONSERVATION
You will have the opportunity to spend 4 to 7 days at one of the turtle sanctuaries we support, including Cirenas Playa Ario. Depending on the season, you may also work at our sanctuary close by.
During your stay, you will be protecting the eggs and hatchlings of Olive Ridley, Black Turtle, Hawksbill, and Leatherback species that visit local “semi-intensive” nesting beaches at night to nest. The primary objective of the project is to protect adult female turtles that frequent beaches along this coastline and their nests from human predators, wildlife, natural events such as beach erosion and flooding due to high amounts of rainfall during nesting season.
To achieve this, you will maintain the infrastructure and surroundings, clean the beach, conduct night patrols to locate nesting female turtles (in season), transport food and water, collect data, and release baby turtles into the ocean (in season). You will also help construct a “hatchery.”
At Cirenas, all three meals are included.
During the off-season, as an alternative to turtle conservation, we support animal conservation at Natuwa and other related works.
SEASONAL SUPPORT
Please note that while turtles frequently nest during peak nesting season (July to November), there may be times when turtle activity is low. However, we still require assistance throughout most of the year for the construction and maintenance of the hatchery, which is critical for the upcoming season. Turtle conservation volunteering is always a part of the 4-week program and is available for non-4 week students upon request, depending on availability.
For more information about Cirenas, please click here. Additionally, you can check the following chart for a seasonal overview of turtle activity.
OTHER ACTIVITIES AT CIRENAS
In addition to the turtle conservation activities you will be doing in Cirenas, there are several other tasks that you will be taking on.
CALETAS-ARIO MIXED NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
– Hikes on the trails
– Bird watching
– Maintenance of trails in the primary and secondary forests of Rio Ario and Bongo
– Monitoring of Wild Fauna through camera traps
– Identification of native trees
– Much more…
PERMACULTURE AND HEALTHY EATING
– Sow Corn
– Plant cassava
– Plant Bananas, Bananas
– Sowing of Vetiver (It is used for the protection and mooring of the ground)
– Composting
– Biomass
– Irrigation installation for plants
– Prune fruit trees
– Hen house
– Harvesting
– Much more …
FORESTRY REFORESTATION
– Collection of seeds of native trees by dry season
– Sowing in seedbeds
– Reforestation of native tree species on and off campus
– Much more…
ACCOMMODATION
Along with immersion in a wilderness setting, CIRENAS promotes “slowing down” to live in harmony with natural cycles and with minimal impact. This means, putting away cell phones and computers and focusing on the present and our community. We develop a consciousness about living more simply in a supportive community that forces participants to think about energy, waste, water, technology.
KIDS & COMMUNITY WORK
Community work with the kids of Santa Teresa local community is an integral part of our program. We work hand in hand with the children from our immediate vicinity, hosting extracurricular activities for them. Our activities are run by student and local volunteers, and include sports, arts and crafts, English classes, and environmental and social awareness programs.
We also organize and run out-of-school activities, including Saturday afternoons, which are open to all our clients to get involved. These activities give the kids the opportunity to experience new adventures, such as organized sea safety, beach and kids surf classes, nature and turtle conservation, sports games, and arts and crafts.
In addition, we teach in the local schools and support the community in various projects. In 2020, we set a milestone by building a food bridge for our neighbors, which allows them to go to work even when the river floods the bridge. Our students worked hand in hand with the local community to realize that project.
In early 2021, we supported the community in building and painting official signs with laws of Costa Rica to set up on five different beaches, from Malpais to La Lora, Santa Teresa.
We have also built recycling stations in our neighborhood and educate citizens on how to maintain them and correctly separate their recycling.
COCAL KIDS CLUB - COSTA RICA
In April 2021, after 4 months and hard work of 4 volunteer groups, we sucessfully opend the “COCAL KIDS CLUB” in Costa Rica.
RECYCLING
We are leading the charge in our local community to create as many recycle stations and collection points for plastic waste in particular so that Bionics can easily collect it all once a week from main road.
So far we have built two recycle stations on our street and this has reduced the normal garbage by 30 % or more. As a result on our street alone we collect a huge amount of plastic for Bionics each month.
We clean the beaches of plastic once a week at least and participate in community clean ups on a monthly basis.
We support the Recycling Center of the Nicoya Peninsula Waterkeepers & Bionics Yarn, which is located 30 minutes away in Cobano. We help them by streamlining their operations, organizing their materials, and preparing the plastic for shipment to the USA where it is repurposed into consumer goods such as shoes, T-shirts, and building blocks.
This is the future, and it has the potential to save the planet or at least make a significant difference. When we give value to what was once considered ‘rubbish,’ people begin to take notice and take steps to collect and repurpose it. This is an opportunity to educate our students on the full cycle of events, from how plastic enters the ecosystem to the difficulty of removing it once it’s in there, and the positive outcomes of collecting it for repurposing. By doing so, we can inspire the next generation to take action and contribute to a more sustainable future.
BIONICS CENTER IN COBANO
JAKERA RECYCLING STATIONS
n our neighborhood, we have constructed recycling stations and provided education to the citizens to maintain them and properly sort their recyclables. As a result, we have transformed our community from a complete garbage disaster to a clean and pleasant environment.
Moving forward, our next initiative was to introduce composting in 2021 and educate citizens on the importance of not disposing of compostable waste in the regular garbage bins. This step is critical in resolving issues such as attracting animals, unpleasant odors, and excessive waste accumulation. By adopting composting practices, we can effectively reduce our community’s environmental impact and promote sustainability.
REFORESTATION
Our primary focus is on the forests, which are a critical resource for maintaining a healthy water supply. We believe that by nurturing and protecting these forests, we can ensure the sustainable supply of clean water for generations to come.
We contribute to this effort by maintaining and supplying our tree nursery with carefully selected saplings and seeds, as well as ongoing support for recently planted trees to ensure their success. Additionally, we support the local ‘Waterkeepers’ who are responsible for patrolling the river systems of Santa Teresa and neighboring tropical forest resources. We help to report any contamination, clear forest debris and litter from streams before it is washed out to sea, and to prevent further damage to wildlife. We also maintain walking and hiking trails that allow visitors to access this beautiful area, providing an excellent opportunity to learn about the biodiversity of flora and fauna in this unique part of the world.
By investing in forest conservation efforts and water management, we can make a positive impact on the environment while also promoting eco-tourism and sustainable development in the region.
