help to save the turtles in Matapalo

The contrast between a temperamental ocean, the soft brown sand and the unique sunsets, gives Matapalo a relaxing atmosphere, in which the hard work at night just seems like a recurring dream that leaves its prints in our souls and the community.

You will find there a enormous biodiversity, including plants, fungus, insects, crustaceous, mollusks, birds, mammals and reptiles, where we include the sea turtles: Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) and sometimes the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricatta) and Black sea Turtle from the Pacifico (Chelonia mydas); all of them are endangered species.

. Period / duration

Since June 1° to December 31.

The work consists on:

For the sea turtles:
Since June 1° to November 30

. Construction of the breeding grounds.
. Beach signaling.
. Patrol walks to protect nests, females and for data collection purposes(Biometry, marking, etc.)
. Transfer of nests and monitoring of the breeding grounds.

Since December 1º to December 31

. Registry of breeding ground information.
. Liberation of newborn turtles.
. Nest exhumation.

For your comfort and the one of other volunteers:
Since June 1° to December 31.

. Maintenance and construction of infrastructure.
. Beach cleaning.
. Community projection.

In the project’s premises you will find a rustic house with electricity and shared bathrooms; the shared rooms have a fan and closets for proper storage of your belongings. In the project, you will get a meal four times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack); it’s a Costa Rican typical meal, with rice, beans, pastas and basic grains, meat, vegetables and fruits.

For more information about this project, please contact us.