Blogpost written by Alejandra Rojas, Naturalist Guide and Avian Program Coordinator Every year, thousands of birds around the world start a long journey that is fundamental to their survival: migration. Each species has its particularity: they fly in flocks or by their own, during the day or the night, they rest or they fly restless, large distances or short distances. Despite their different migration strategies, all of these birds have something in common: they face challenges to survive their "flyway" – a term used to describe the route...

Blogpost written by Alexander Cotnoir, Volunteer with Rios Saludables Program   Hello everybody! My name is Alexander Cotnoir, and before I share a snapshot of my work at Osa Conservation thus far along with some of the most exciting experiences I’ve had working with the Ríos Saludables Program, I’d like to introduce myself and share why I decided to join the Ríos Saludables Program as a volunteer over the course of the next few months.     I am currently a sophomore at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, pursuing a degree in biology...

March 13, 2017 Blogpost by Max Beal, Northland College   After packing our bags on the last night of midterms, we all woke up bright and early to catch the 7:00 AM colectivo to start our journey into Corcovado National Park, a little up the coast from Osa Conservation’s biological station. We met up with our guide Maikol on the colectivo and an hour and half later we all got off in the small community of Carate and started our 20 km hike along the beach to Sirena station that serves as...

Blogpost written by Alejandra Rojas, Naturalist Guide and Avian Program Coordinator As we prepare to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2017, we reflect on the conservation work that we are doing in the special region of the world called the Osa Peninsula. This especially includes the importance of sustainable natural resource management and effective strategic forest restoration for protecting the globally significant biodiversity of the Osa Peninsula in perpetuity. Looking back through the years, we see various historical environmental trends throughout the region and how they have shaped...

March 1, 2017 Blogpost by Max Beal, Northland College   After catching a ride in a cattle truck from Rincon, we unloaded our things and settled into our new home at Osa Conservation’s Lomas del Sierpe field station. The station sits just off the road high up on a hill surrounded by dense jungle. We spent the rest of the day furnishing our concrete platform with hammocks and bins, and enjoying the running water, electricity, and refrigeration. Instead of tents, we were able to fit ourselves into a couple of screened-in...

February 22, 2017 Blogpost by Carolina May (College of William and Mary)   After returning from our backpacking trip to Osa Conservation’s Cerro Arbolito, we spent the afternoon writing up Grinnell journal entries that described all of the species and ecological observations we noticed on our hike. The rest of the week we continued with field projects around the biological station. On early Wednesday morning, we went with Manuel, Osa Conservation's sea turtle research coordinator, to survey the beaches for turtle nests. Once we reached the beach, we turned our headlamps...

February 13, 2017 Blogpost by Katie Goodwin, University of New Hampshire   The semester is getting under way here in Costa Rica! It has been about a week and a half since we got here but I think we all agree that our campsite at Osa Conservation's biological station  already feels like home. Really, we’ve only been here for a week, since the first few days of the program were spent in San José. We spent three nights after we arrived staying in a hotel near downtown San José. We woke up...

Interview by Alejandra Rojas, Naturalist Guide and Avian Program Coordinator Holding either his camera and backpack, or plastic buckets filled with sand after releasing baby sea turtles, a young guy approaches the biological station from the trail where the rainforest meets the sea. It is Manuel Sánchez, Osa Conservation´s Sea Turtle Program coordinator. He was 5 years old when he saw a sea turtle for the first time. A fishing night with his father Miguel became an adventure when they discovered the tracks of a green sea turtle, which they followed to...

Blogpost by Rachael Eplee, Rios Saludables Program Coordinator Hello all! My name is Rachael Eplee, and I am the coordinator for Osa Conservation’s Rios Saludables (Healthy Rivers) Program. I graduated in 2016 from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in International Development.  In my first step into the professional world, I started working with Osa Conservation in July 2016 and have had the great pleasure of living in this rich and diverse environment ever since! My area of interest lies...

Blogpost by Alejandra Rojas, Naturalist Guide and Avian Program Coordinator In a remote corner of southern Costa Rica, Osa Conservation runs a biological station that receives researchers from all over the world, as well as students and visitors who share a passion for conservation.  At this station, there is a complete team working on-site: A group of scientists, naturalists and environmentalists doing our very best to apply our knowledge to make conservation possible. I am excited to have recently joined Osa Conservation as their Naturalist Guide and Avian Program...