Miscellaneous, Sustainable agriculture, Volunteers and Visitors / 13.11.2015

Our Finca Osa Verde consists of 600 acres of pasture and forest, as well as 1.1 miles of sea turtle nesting habitat. Osa Verde includes a small farm that supplies Osa Conservation’s field station kitchen and dining halls with all types of fruits and veggies; from lettuce, to peppers, yucca, bananas, and rice. This week we collected peanuts from the Finca Osa farm and volunteers, research assistants, and staff members joined forces to create organic peanut butter for the very first time. The process is quite simple and the peanut butter...

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...

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...

Aves, Birds, Miscellaneous, Volunteers and Visitors / 27.12.2013

It’s that time of year again - birding time! Aside from the hundreds of native tropical birds who reside in the Osa, the peninsula is also winter home for many North American migratory birds. Every spring, they return to nest - the Scarlet Tanager, the Indigo Bunting, the Golden-Winged Warbler, the Baltimore Oriole, and scores of other migrant songbirds. And every winter, they make the perilous journey back to the rainforests of Central America to wait out the long cold season. Unfortunately, their wintering grounds are under intense pressure...

Miscellaneous, Science and Research / 26.11.2013

The epic battle of predator and prey in the jungle by: Max Villalobos, Land Conservation Manager [caption id="attachment_5695" align="alignnone" width="2816"] Snake captures an unsuspecting frog. Photo by Manuel Sánchez.[/caption]   It’s almost midday, and the forest is drowsy with the intense heat and humidity that you find during the rainy season in the Osa Peninsula, where the temperature can easily surpass 90 degrees. I direct all of my attention to the forest floor in search of the sweet and fleshy fruits of the Zapote tree. The spider monkeys that also eat from...

Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Miscellaneous, Science and Research / 08.11.2013

by Lauren Lipuma and Florencia Franzini [caption id="attachment_5647" align="alignnone" width="720"] Executive Director Manuel Ramirez (center) and board members Adrian Forsyth (left) and Craig Thompson (right) survey the Osa Verde property.[/caption] Osa Conservation has had a busy summer and fall this year.  From renovations and land purchases to project expansions, the work never ceases to lose momentum here at OC! Here are a few things that have been going on at Osa Conservation this summer and fall: The Agro-Ecology Farm at Osa Verde has had a huge facelift! OC is gearing up...

Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Miscellaneous / 02.10.2013

by Florencia Franzini [caption id="attachment_5469" align="alignnone" width="400"] Members of the Costa Rican government, including president Laura Chinchilla, and representatives from the World Bank sign a landmark REDD+ agreement. Photo Credit: the World Bank.[/caption] On September 10, 2013, Costa Rica and the World Bank, acting for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, signed a letter of intent stating the terms of negotiation for its Emissions Reduction Payment Agreement. The ERPA would allow for the FCPF to purchase carbon emissions, or “carbon credits,” for up to a value of $63 million – making...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Miscellaneous, Sea Turtles / 30.11.2012

[caption id="attachment_4712" align="alignleft" width="300"] RFA's and interns pose for a photo at our annual Sea Turtle festival this past September[/caption] November is the peak of the rainy season here in Osa, an ideal time for staying in, curling up with a good book and listening to the sheets of rain pelt the tin roof. Not so for the OC staff and our brave visitors and volunteers who have been working rain and shine to help us with various conservation projects! This month we're finishing up the Sea Turtle season and will be saying our goodbyes to our amazing Research Field Assistants that have made the program possible. Sai, Emily, Bre and Katie, we are incredibly grateful for your dedication and contribution this season. Thank you also to Katharine, Jamie and Alyssa, our field assistants who joined us for the first half of the season and all of our volunteers.
Miscellaneous / 08.08.2012

By Hansel Herrera Vargas Hansel Herrera Vargas, a Costa Rican biologist with a Bachelor's degree from Berry College, Georgia, USA, is Osa Conservation's new volunteer coordinator. The following is his first-hand account of his move to the Osa. Hansel  has been very busy this summer, as the 2012 Sea Turtle Volunteer Program is well under way. Apply today for this opportunity to experience the wonderful Osa Peninsula! [caption id="attachment_4049" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mamon Chino (Photo: Mario Melendez)"][/caption] I embarked on my first journey to the Osa Peninsula just before sunset on a rainy July afternoon. The road south brought glimpses of a magical landscape where the  jungle mixes with the sea. My lungs filled with dozens of new scents: the sweet smell of Mamon Chino (Nephelium lappaceum), the soft smell of Carambola (Averrhoa carambola), the stench of Nonis (Morinda citrifolia), the Mimbro fruit (Averrhoa bilimbí), guava (Inga edulis), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), and many others. The road to Puerto Jimenez brings one across many rivers and many histories. There are dozens of towns and cities dotting the road from Costa Rica's capital to the Osa, and the nine hour bus ride is filled with sightings of beautiful mountains and valleys, exotic birds, and ancient trees.
Miscellaneous / 07.08.2012

In an effort to prove that it is better to be armed with a keen knowledge of the forest and the movements of animals than with a hunting rifle, hunters from several communities in Osa joined photographers to capture wildlife (on film!) as part of a celebration that took place for International Wildlife Day (Día de la Vida Silvestre) which took place on July 29. With the theme, "Wild Peccaries and My Community," they announced the winners of the photography contest, in which the communities of Los Planes, Progreso,...