Community Outreach, Environmental Education / 31.12.2014

Juan Carlos Cruz Diaz, Osa Conservation’s Wild Cat Program Coordinator, made a trip up to Westchester County in New York this year to visit Larry Regan and his son Jeremy Regan. The purpose of the visit was to check up on Jeremy and his camera trap mammal monitoring project that he had decided to introduce right in Westchester’s back yard. [caption id="attachment_7263" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Juan Carlos and Jeremy pose in front of a camera trap.[/caption] Like father like son – Larry Regan donated the first cameras that spearheaded Osa Conservation’s...

Aves, Community Outreach / 17.12.2014

Bird biodiversity on the Osa Peninsula extends upwards to about 364 species and therefor represents 42% of the total avifauna in Costa Rica. It is for that reason that Costa Rica has become a centralized mecca – a paradise, really - for ornithologist and bird lovers alike. Resident and migratory birds can be observed in all matter of locations: from far remote and rural, to urban. With the objective of expanding the young minds of the Osa Peninsula to the wealth of avian knowledge, and to also instill a...

Community Outreach, Marine Conservation, Sea Turtles / 20.10.2014

On a sunny October morning on Carate beach we had the joy of celebrating the 6th Annual Sea Turtle Festival. We had over 100 participants from the Carate community, neighboring communities and from Puerto Jimenez. To the rhythm of music we begun the first friendly competition: Sandy Sea Turtle Sculptures, with the theme being that of “What does a Sea Turtle eat?” We had three winning families, and they each took home t-shirts with the festivals yearly logo on it. We continued the fun and celebration by opening up...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Marine Conservation, Sea Turtles / 04.08.2014

Written by: Pilar Bernal Edited & Translated by: Florencia Franzini On the 28th of July we received a visit at Piro Biological Station from 9 educators who are currently working throughout the Osa Peninsula and the Golfito region. [caption id="attachment_6829" align="alignleft" width="300"] A photo of the workshop participants and Osa staff.[/caption] Thanks to the help and directive from SEE Turtles, we managed to organize an successful and informative educational workshop on marine sea turtle conservation. During the day professors learned about sea turtle species biology, while also learning techniques to help motivate their students and...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Marine Conservation / 15.07.2014

Written by: Luis Alberto Williams Fallas Translated by: Florencia Franzini We find ourselves in the middle of a project titled “Conservation and Management of Marine and Forest Resources in the National Terraba Sierpe Wetlands.” Our associates are APREMMA: a local community of fishermen and piangüeros working out of the Ajuntaderas area, a small community off the Southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. This newly formed group is looking for a method to develop a healthy relationship between their community and efforts to conserve the local wetlands. APREMAA, like many of the...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 28.03.2014

by Lauren Lipuma, Conservation Outreach Coordinator, and Jim Palmer, founder of Creek Connections This past week local students from Puerto Jiménez had the chance to discover what lives in the streams that flow by their small town and the incredible amount of chemistry and biology that goes into keeping their water sources clean and healthy. Led by veteran biologist Jim Palmer, founder of the Creek Connections program at Allegheny College, Osa Conservation staff and volunteers worked with 8 sixth-grade students, a teacher, and several parents from the local public school...

Aves, Birds, Community Outreach, Environmental Education / 21.03.2014

by Pilar Bernal, Environmental Education and Outreach Manager On March 1, Puerto Jimenez was filled with color, music, and recreational activities for children and adults. More than 200 people congregated to say their farewells to the migratory birds that will be returning to their nesting habitats in North America. The occasion celebrates the first migratory bird festival of the Osa Peninsula, an event jointly organized with Osa Birds and ACOSA-SINAC, with support from Tropical Wings and the National Park Services of the United States. The festival’s objectives were to promote...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 05.03.2014

This two-part series chronicles the efforts of Osa Conservation and Amazon Conservation Team to learn from one another’s conservation strategies through staff visits to each other's field sites and the ensuing exchange of knowledge and experience.   My first time in the Amazon by Agustín Mendoza, Land Stewardship and Maintenance, Osa Conservation [caption id="attachment_5846" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Agustín (right, tan shirt) talks about native seed collection and forest restoration.[/caption] I arrived on the Osa Peninsula well over 39 years ago; since I was young I worked the land with my father, through him learning the...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 26.02.2014

This two-part series chronicles the efforts of Osa Conservation and Amazon Conservation Team to learn from one another’s conservation strategies through staff visits to each other's field sites and the ensuing exchange of knowledge and experience.   My trip to Costa Rica and the Osa Peninsula by Wilmar Diaz Bahamón, Field Projects Manager, ACT Colombia [caption id="attachment_5848" align="aligncenter" width="428"] Agustin shows Wilmar and ACT how to climb trees to collect native seeds in the forest.[/caption] I was born in the countryside. As a child I explored my small town walking for hours in...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Miscellaneous / 12.02.2014

[caption id="attachment_5289" align="alignnone" width="857"] Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands, Costa Rica. Photo credit: Cavu[/caption] By: Luis Williams Community Planning - Wetlands Program A functional environment is built on a day-to-day basis, from all sectors of society, and a fundamental support for environmental security comes from the participation of local citizens. In many cases, local organizations become protagonists that can either complement or detract from the government’s role in supporting a functioning environment. At Osa Conservation, we aim to highlight the responsibility of citizen participation by presenting useful information to voters during this year’s...