Video Blog by Dr. Andrew Whitworth, Director of Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Osa Conservation has recently started a new research project to investigate the role of the endangered spider monkeys in dispersing seeds and restoring tropical forests in the Osa.  In this video blog below, Andy and his group of researchers are searching out the nightime sleeping trees of the spider monkeys and shows us some of their exciting "latrine site" discoveries. Check out the video below to learn more about this new project:   [video width="848" height="480" mp4="https://osaconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2017-09-08-VIDEO-00000265-2.mp4"][/video]   Stay tuned...

Blog post by Eleanor Flatt, Restoration and Biodiversity Field Assistant  Collecting 60 camera traps is no easy task, especially when 52 of them are off-trail in the dense tropical rainforest and getting to them involved river crossings and scrambling up steep muddy ridges. These camera traps were part of a study where we combined forces with PhD student Juan Sebastian Vargas (University of Toronto). This work will continue and become part of the growing Camera Trap Network made up of conservation organizations, ecolodges, researchers and land owners that all share...

Blog post written by Marina Garrido, Sea Turtle Research Field Assistant Several months ago, while returning to the station after spending a long morning working to build a new hatchery, some volunteers from the University of Costa Rica and I spotted the nest of a white-necked jacobin (Florisuga mellivora) close to the trail. We were very lucky to see the mother incubating her eggs in a nest made of soft vegetation and cobwebs. This delicate nest was on the surface of a large leaf covered and protected by other...

Blog post written by Juan Carlos Cruz, Feline Program Coordinator Osa Conservation is excited to have worked with our partners to host the very first workshop for the Osa Camera Trap Network!   [caption id="attachment_10339" align="aligncenter" width="346"] Photo of Osa Camera Trap Network Workshop[/caption]   This Network gathers together those in the Osa interested in doing research on wildcat conservation - including partners from communities, private companies, research institutions and conservationist organizations- to help inform conservation decision-making and provide a baseline of wildcat data for generations to come. Wildcats are keystone species, which are...

Blogpost written by Dr. Andrew Whitworth, Director of Restoration Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation   Last night, as I prepared my evening feed (rice with something), I heard a strange and unfamiliar squeaking sound from outside. I grabbed my head torch (aka.flashlight) and out I went. This is what I found. [caption id="attachment_10293" align="aligncenter" width="372"] Eyelash pit viper starting its meal (Photo by Andrew Whitworth)[/caption]   I couldn’t believe it. Ever since moving to live on the Osa Peninsula in February, I have been desperate to see the stunning eyelash pit viper (Bothriechis schlegelii),...

Blog Post by Lesley Mould, DC Office Intern Osa Conservation’s rainforest camera traps have been capturing some very exciting footage recently! One camera recorded a particularly remarkable video of a Greater Grison. Watching clips of the camera trap footage in the D.C. office motivated me to investigate some of the more unusual species that are native to the Osa, starting with the Greater Grison. The Greater Grison is a member of the weasel family. It is native to South and Central America and inhabits forest and cerrado habitats. It is...

Blogpost written by Emily Bartone, Sea Turtle Research Field Assistant Working with the sea turtle program, I feel lucky to spend my mornings patrolling Osa’s picturesque beaches looking for nesting sea turtles. However, one feature that can often distract from the beauty of these beaches is the presence of plastic waste that still finds its way to the coastline. While this pollution is unsightly, more importantly, it’s harmful to wildlife. Despite ongoing beach clean ups,  plastics can accumulate on our beaches because it washes up with the tide. What doesn’t make...

Blog Post by Eleanor Flatt, Biodiversity and Restoration Research Field Assistant and Dung Beetle enthusiast It is 1 o’clock in the morning, rain is breaking through the forest canopy. It is pitch black, and I am just about to wriggle out of my jungle hammock to check pitfall traps … again. This experience was not due to insanity, but for science. Specifically, my aim is to observe when distinct species of dung beetles are most active to better understand their role in the ecosystem. This task is just part...

Blogpost written by Hilary Brumberg, Ríos Saludables Program Coordinator  Hello fellow nature enthusiasts! My name is Hilary Brumberg, and I am the new coordinator of the Ríos Saludables (Healthy Rivers) program. I just graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut a few weeks ago with a degree in environmental science and Spanish, and I am a Princeton in Latin America fellow. My day-to-day activities here in the Osa Peninsula are very different from those in urban Connecticut. Each morning, I crawl out of my bug net and emerge among the mango trees on...

Blogpost by Sawyer Judge "Was your coral scouting successful?" I hear a lovely British accent come calling from the stairs. Two dogs come bounding down the stairs to the beach as Harvey is helping us out of the boat. The owner of the accent, Susan, makes her way towards us. "How was the boat ride, loves? Come refresh with some juice in the kitchen. It's cas juice! Fresh made!" There are six of us visiting the Saladero EcoLodge that Harvey and Susan call home. Harvey and Susan are long-time partners of Osa Conservation, and they're housing us...