Environmental Education, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 01.10.2020

Blog by: Mark Laidre, Dartmouth College professor and principal investigator of the Laidre Lab It’s fun to discover new things about nature. That’s why scientists like doing science. And when it comes to the science of animal behavior, I like to think of Osa as a sort of ‘magic well’. My students and I have conducted animal behavior research around the world, with much of our research focusing in Osa, where we’ve spent many years studying ‘social hermit crabs’. At the Animal Behavior Society’s conference in Chicago in 2019...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Sustainable agriculture / 24.08.2020

Blog by: Hilary Brumberg, Ridge to Reef Program Interim Director Southern Costa Rica is home to two of the most important areas to conserve in Central America: the Osa Peninsula and the Talamanca Mountains. The Osa Peninsula is the most biodiverse region of Costa Rica and contains Corcovado National Park and Piedras Blancas National Park. Deemed one of Mesoamerica’s “5 great forests,” the Talamanca Mountains contain the largest altitudinal variation in a protected area complex in Central America. The mountain range hosts La Amistad International Park, which spans from...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 15.05.2019

Blogpost by Jonathan Navarro Picado, Healthy Rivers Program Coordinator Children teach us new things every day and they are full of surprises; the only thing they need is a bit of motivation.  The community of Alto Laguna in Osa, the only indigenous reserve on the Osa Peninsula, is full of forest, life, stunning sunsets and inspiring people. The students of the school in the community received a talk about the importance of the rivers. But more than teaching them, they taught us through art the understanding they have of this...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 04.05.2019

By Irene Artiñano Banegas, Student in the first annual Costa Rican Restoration & Rewilding Field Course Restoration & Rewilding Field Course participants travelled across the Osa Peninsula to learn about conservation threats and initiatives in the region. Here, Irene, Osa Conservation staff, other course participants visit the Terraba-Sierpe Wetland. Photo: Michelle Monge I learned a lot during my two months in the Restoration & Rewilding Field Course at Osa Conservation. Our adventures included installing camera traps to monitor the activity of different mammals, walking through the forest learning (and hearing...

Environmental Education, Volunteers and Visitors / 17.04.2019

By Ted May, General Volunteer Many environmentally-aware people, including myself, are attracted to Costa Rica because of the awesome biodiversity there. One has opportunity to explore part of a country that houses 5% of the world’s biodiversity in 51,100 km2– mid-way in size between the U.S. state of West Virginia and the European country of Denmark. Ted May climbing a tree to install an owl box, to create microhabitats to help bird populations. When I arrived as a volunteer at Osa Conservation this March, I was able to explore part of this area,...

Aquatic Health, Community Outreach, Environmental Education / 29.03.2019

https://youtu.be/vjubdLJZJv8 Blogpost by Kristina Graves, Healthy Rivers Program Research Field Assistant and Masters Student at Imperial College London Having just arrived at the start of the week, I was really excited to hear that Osa Conservation was hosting a “Picnic in the River” in celebration of Costa Rican rivers and their importance to people and wildlife. I thought it would be a great way to understand the context of rivers in the Osa and community and throw myself headfirst into learning some Spanish.  “Picnic in the River” is an annual festival...

Environmental Education, Miscellaneous, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 06.11.2015

Read about Grace Leppink's experience in the Osa as she makes exciting fungi discoveries! Fungi are found throughout the world, but some of the most amazing and diverse fungi are found in Costa Rica.  The combination of deeply shaded forests and a warm, humid climate makes Costa Rica the perfect incubator for fungi.  As a new mycologist, the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica was one that I could not pass up.  On my first day at the Piro Research Station I had an exciting and lucky encounter with fungi. [caption...

Aquatic Health, Environmental Education, Marine Conservation, Sea Turtles, Volunteers and Visitors / 16.10.2015

The fluttering of papery wings; back and forth, back and forth. They open and close their tiny mouths. Nocturnal hungry bats, paired with the incessant whir of cicada wings and the low, ominous drone of Howler monkeys are the evening calls of the Osa. These sounds signify the awakening of all things that dwell in the night. Usually, it also signifies our bedtime; unless it’s an evening of turtle patrol. When I took herpetology as a senior in college three years ago, my professor used to joke that, “Herpetologists...

Birds, Environmental Education, Science and Research / 05.10.2015

Read about Esmeralda Quirós Guerrero's research on the singing patterns of birds in the Osa. The intense biodiversity around our stations provided her with a perfect place to conduct her research. We love learning more about the incredible birds of the Osa! Did you know that many species of birds sing duets? Vocal displays are one of the most researched interactions between and within species. There is a great diversity in the structure of singing behavior. I have been investigating the learning process of duets in Osa songbirds. Duets...

Environmental Education, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 21.08.2015

Bats. These nocturnal creatures tend to get a bad rap. Associated for centuries with mythical creatures of the night, and used as Halloween decorations to add eeriness to a haunted house, the real life mammal often gets overlooked. OC aims to change that by collaborating with experts and educating the public on the crucial role bats play in restoration. [gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="8019"] Recently, Osa Conservation was honored with a visit from 2 remarkable scientists in the bat world: Cullen Geiselman, bat biologist and board member of Bat Conservation International & Gloriana Chaverri,...