News + Stories

Birds / 11.07.2017

Blogpost written by Patrick Newcombe, Conservation Visitor  When I first arrived in the Osa for my birding experience, the tremendous diversity of birds astounded me. I seemed to spot a new species each time I walk into the forest around Osa Conservation's biological station.  Even at the station itself, I saw such birds as the Fiery-billed Aracari, an endemic species in both Panama and Costa Rica. The species diversity stems, in large part, from the selective pressure insectivorous birds put on their prey. This causes insects to adapt in order...

Uncategorized / 07.07.2017

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...

Marine Conservation, Sea Turtles / 05.07.2017

Blogpost written by Marina Garrido, Sea Turtle Volunteer As a sea turtle volunteer, I have spent the last few weeks here in the Osa constructing the turtle hatchery for the upcoming nesting season. Each year, the hatchery is moved to a new location along the beach in order to relocate nests in an area with "clean" sand which was not used in the previous nesting season.  The process is long and tough and requires many hours and many hands, but the end product is so rewarding that the work...

Sustainable agriculture / 28.06.2017

Blogpost written by Mollie Carroll, Intern Most of us never think past the walls of the grocery store when it comes to our food. And, we definitely don’t often go as far as to think about the practices used to produce it. Yet, in an ever modernizing world, we should stop for a moment to question what really goes into making the food that we eat every day and ask ourselves, "What's the deal with sustainable agriculture?" In the United States, the amount of farms has drastically decreased as yield...

Sea Turtles / 21.06.2017

Blogpost written by Marina Garrido, Sea Turtle Volunteer   World Sea Turtle Day was just last week and the sea turtle team at Osa Conservation was super excited. Why? Because to us, it is not just a day, but a day in which we hope the whole world can remember and think about, even if just for a moment, these amazing animals. Sea turtles are one of the most ancient animals alive. They belong to the family Quelonidae, which  also encompasses terrestrial turtles. One interesting fact about sea turtles, is...

Uncategorized / 14.06.2017

Blogpost written by Lesley Mould, Intern Since vanilla is so popular, it was surprising to learn how challenging it is to grow it in the wild! Vanilla is one of the many rare and distinct plants that can be found in the Osa. The uniqueness of the vanilla plant is fascinating, and its potential to both reforest and spur regional development is heartening in a field that can often be cynical.  As an intern in Osa Conservation’s Washington, D.C. office with a strong interest in botany, I find the...

Uncategorized / 06.06.2017

Blogpost written by Robert Baker, Volunteer Hi, my name is Bob Baker. For the past 10 years, my wife Lindsay and I have come to the Osa Peninsula for two weeks every March. We come to enjoy what National Geographic calls the “most biologically intense place on earth.” We typically stay in vacation rentals in the Cabo Matapalo area which is about 18km south of Puerto Jimenez at the tip of the peninsula. Last March (2016), we arranged to visit Osa Conservation's biological station and during our visit,  Manuel...

Uncategorized / 30.05.2017

Blogpost written by Marina Garrido, Research Field Assistant A few days ago, part of the staff and some researchers went for a walk with Osa Conservation's botanist, Reinaldo Aguilar, from the biological station to the wildlife-friendly farm. All along the way, Reinaldo showed everyone different kinds of plants that grow in the Osa Peninsula, and shared his knowledge about the flora. We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed each plant we saw with all five senses. Since the staff is comprised of both Spanish and English speakers,...

Uncategorized / 24.05.2017

Blogpost written by Eleanor Flatt, Biodiversity Research Field Assistant   In the Osa, “biodiversity” is an  understatement… In the human world, we select people to represent our countries, our towns, our villages, our communities; it is similar in the animal kingdom. A flagship species is an ambassador for a specific habitat and normally conservation of that species or the area they inhabit has benefits for other species. Here in the Osa Peninsula, we are home to a staggering 2.5% of the planets biodiversity, living on a mere 0.00000085% of the earth's...

Uncategorized / 16.05.2017

Blogpost written by Alejandra Rojas, Naturalist Guide and Avian Program Coordinator        Photo 1:  The endemic & endangered Golfodulcean Poison-arrow Frog  and Black-cheeked Ant Tanager (Photo credit: Manuel Sanchez Mendoza)   What does a Golfodulcean Poison-arrow Frog and a Black-cheeked Ant-tanager have in common? Not only are they endemic to the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica, but they are also endangered - a term used to describe when there are so few individuals surviving that the species is at risk of no longer existing in the wild.  There are many reasons that...