Turtle and Environment Conservation

Volunteers in this project participate in a community-driven conservation project that aims to conserve sea turtle nesting beach habitat on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. They protect 8 km of beach where they register over 7000 nests per season from the Olive Ridley and Pacific green species.The Osa Peninsula is on the far south Pacific tip of Costa Rica, in one of the most bio diverse areas on the planet. It is home to Corcovado National Park, that encompasses a wide variety of distinct ecosystems including old growth primary rainforest, palm forests, mangrove swamps, and coastal and marine habitats. With this variety of ecosystems comes a large number of native, endemic and migratory species. The Osa Peninsula alone holds an estimated 2.5% of global biodiversity, with some 250,000 plant and animal species, over 300 of which are found nowhere else on the planet.  

This project is actively working on 5 of the UN SDGs to help support the maintenance of a healthy planet.

Conservation and research on nesting sea turtle populations

• Increase hatching success rates by protecting nests and in extreme cases, relocating nests to hatcheries. 

• Increasing the chances of hatchlings reaching mature adulthood.

• Reduce predation and poaching rates on our beaches by carrying out regular patrols.

• Helping turtles that have suffered injuries as a result of bycatch, pollution, and damages from boats, other animals, or natural causes. 

• Regular beach clean ups where we reuse garbage that is washed up on the beach and recycle the rest. 

• Collecting data and conducting research to influence policy makers and to fill in information gaps in scientific research studies.

Community involvement in conservation

• Provide better jobs with a steady income to people in the community. Specifically gold miners and ex poachers.

• Educate locals on the importance of conservation within their community, to promote safe practices of ecotourism, and be more aware of plastic consumption and littering.

• Provide English lessons to improve the lives of locals and to help community members take on leading roles in our project for tours, education, and manage overseas volunteers. 

• Offer other services or tours, outside of turtle conservation, so that other community organizations may have a substantial income as well from ecotourism.

Education and activism

• Promote environmentally responsible and sustainable economic opportunities

• Leverage social media to promote environmental responsibility and awareness

• Contributing to the advancement of local and national policy to further the Osa Peninsula’s dedication to ecological sustainability

• Developing and applying innovative methods for environmental research, conservation, and protection

A perfect program for, this program would give you an opportunity to gain first-hand work experience and contribute towards protecting the biodiversity of Costa Rica.

Want to see other ways to make an impact? Check out our Volunteer in South America programs.

Volunteer Role & Responsibilities

Here’s a snapshot of the exciting activities you’l be involved in:

Turtle Patrols: Join daily patrols—spend 3-5 hours on Morning Patrols or 4-7 hours on Night Patrols.Protect new nests, record data on nesting females, tag flippers, excavate hatched nests, and assist with hatchling releases. 

Daytime Activities: Participate in Beach Clean-ups to keep nesting sites pristine, sort and manage beach-collected plastics during Plastic Classification, teach English to locals through English Lessons, give Sea Turtle Conservation School Presentations, and help with Tree Planting and Maintenance to support local biodiversity. 

Commitment and Enjoyment: Dive into project activities while also enjoying downtime to relax and explore the stunning Osa Peninsula. 

Community Engagement: Connect with local communities to promote sustainable practices and environmental education, making a direct impact on sea turtle protection and conservation.

Requirements & eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. You need to have an open mind and a flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. The volunteer should bring energy and enthusiasm to make a difference. Participants must be fit and healthy at the time of joining the program and should be prepared to work outdoors and get their hands dirty. Participants in the program should have a keen interest and love for environmental conservation work. Participants should have no criminal convictions and should provide a clean criminal background check report.Participants should be prepared for physically demanding work as you have to walk for several hours on the beach in all weathers looking for nesting adult turtles. Volunteers need to be responsible, flexible, patient and proactive.You should have enthusiasm to get involved and learn as well as the ability to work hard without constant supervision.This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and make a real difference to the turtles and local community members.