Environmental Education, Uncategorized / 07.07.2014

[caption id="attachment_6447" align="alignleft" width="300"] "Many termine species have soldiers with enlarged heads that have sharp, defensive mandibles. Worker termines, by comparison, have smaller heads with chewing mouthparts. The Mexican burrowing toad (Rhinophrynus doralis) feeds almost entirely on termines. It spends most of its life underground, emerging only to breed after heavy rains."[/caption] "They are creatures of interiors. Social but reclusive, all but a few shun the light of day, avoiding even the moonlight. They live underground, in logs or sealed nests, and conduct their social lives within dark labyrinths often...

Environmental Education, Science and Research, Uncategorized, Volunteers and Visitors / 23.06.2014

Written by: David Parreno Duque Translated by: Florencia Franzini [caption id="attachment_6262" align="alignleft" width="300"] Students receive a "creek talk" about the local Osa Ecosystem.[/caption] From June 12 to June 17 we had the pleasure of being able to work with a group of students from the La Paz Community School of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The main on-going project that the alumni focused on was comparing water quality assessments of the Piro River and the Coyunda River – students examined and related the chemical composition of these two rivers, while also examining the different macroinvertebrates between the...

Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Marine Conservation / 14.04.2014

Written by: Juan Carlos Cruz Diaz Edited by: Florencia Franzini One of the most charismatic animals of the rainforest is definitely the river otter. These animals, related to the weasel family, live in large family near rivers and streams where they form social groups of up to fifteen individuals. [caption id="attachment_6047" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Otter in the Piro River, Photo Credit: Manuel Sánchez.[/caption] River otters can also be found in bodies of water that lie close to rivers, such as estuaries and beaches with rock formations. They are active from early hours 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...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Science and Research / 20.12.2013

by Pilar Bernal, Environmental Education and Community Outreach Program Manager [caption id="attachment_5766" align="alignnone" width="1863"] Local students perform tests to measure water quality of streams in the Osa.[/caption]   Osa’s Ant Defenders, an environmental club composed of 15 fourth grade students from the Saturnino Cedeño School in Puerto Jiménez, have started a program to monitor the water quality of Osa’s waterways this past November - starting with Quebrada la Ignacia, a stream that passes through town. These students will be analyzing the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the stream once a...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Marine Conservation / 18.11.2013

by Lauren Lipuma, Conservation Outreach Coordinator, and Ándres Jiménez, Wetlands Program Coordinator [caption id="attachment_5289" align="alignnone" width="857"] Térraba-Sierpe wetlands, Costa Rica. Photo credit: Cavu[/caption]   OC’s conservation efforts in the Térraba-Sierpe wetlands have gotten off to a great start! Our wetlands program, started earlier this year, aims to strengthen the presence of government and conservation organizations in the Térraba-Sierpe National Wetlands and to develop sustainable economic opportunities for neighboring communities. In addition to housing a diverse array of wildlife, wetlands perform important ecological functions - from water filtration to carbon storage. Mangroves...