News + Stories

Community Outreach, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 04.07.2019

Blogspot by: Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, Botanical projects coordinator –OC Trees are important components of the forests and our lives, however, deforestation and illegal logging are threatening their existence and contributing to climate change. This year, the United Nations declared the decade of the Restoration of Ecosystems in order to strengthen large-scale degraded and destroyed areas. This was initiated as a proven measure to combat the climate crisis and improve food security, water supply and biodiversity. Every June 15 we remember ‘the day of the tree’, an environmental event...

Sea Turtles, Volunteers and Visitors / 26.06.2019

Blogpost by Nicole Ross, 1-month Volunteer Before Osa Conservation, I had never volunteered anywhere for longer than a day. I had never been away from home longer than a week. I had never travelled alone. That all changed after volunteering at Osa Conservation. Knowing I would be travelling alone this summer, I wanted to make sure wherever I went was safe enough for a young woman on her own. I had heard really good things about Costa Rica, and how friendly the locals were. I also knew...

Uncategorized / 20.06.2019

Escrito por: Johan Ortíz, Técnico de Campo Programa Restauración y "Rewilding" Mi nombre es Johan Ortíz, soy de Puerto Jiménez, y me considero un amante de la naturaleza que disfruta trabajar en ella, ya que además de disfrutar de los hermosos paisajes que nos brinda la Madre Naturaleza, me da mucho gusto hacer mi parte para ayudar a protegerla y conservarla. [caption id="attachment_12392" align="aligncenter" width="415"] Johan Ortíz participando de una sus actividades favoritas-obsrvación de aves- en el día eBird. Foto: Hillary Brumberg [/caption]   Me gustaría contarles acerca de un gran proyecto...

Aves, Birds, Community Outreach, Science and Research / 18.06.2019

Blogpost by Johan Ortíz, Restoration and Rewilding Field Technician My name is Johan Ortiz, and I am from the community of Puerto Jiménez. I am a lover of nature who enjoys working in it. As well as getting to enjoy these beautiful surroundings that Mother Nature gives us, it gives me great pleasure to do my bit to help protect and conserve nature. Johan Ortiz participating in one of his favorite activities--bird watching--during an eBird Big Day. Photo: Hilary Brumberg I would like to tell you about a great...

Science and Research / 22.05.2019

Blogpost by Ruthmery Pillco Huarcaya, Botanical projects coordinator You have likely heard about the growing list of wildlife that is vulnerable, threatened or critically threatened. While it is true that we are losing biodiversity among wildlife, such as amphibians and insects, faster than we can categorize them, there is a parallel story unfolding among plants, particularly trees. There are an estimated 60,000 tree species, that we know of, around the world. And based on work being done by the Global Tree Campaign and IUCN Red list, approximately 8,000 of those—over...

Uncategorized / 15.05.2019

Blogpost por Jonathan Navarro Picado, Coordinador del Programa de Ríos Saludables Los niños nos enseñan cosas nuevas cada día y están llenos de sorpresas, lo único que ocupan es una motivación. La comunidad de Alto Laguna en Osa, nuestra única reserva indígena en la Península, está llena de bosque, vida, atardeceres impresionantes y personas inspiradoras. Los estudiantes de la escuela en la comunidad, recibieron una charla sobre la importancia de los ríos, pero más que enseñarles, ellos nos enseñaron por medio del arte la compresión que tienen del tesoro natural y...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 15.05.2019

Blogpost by Jonathan Navarro Picado, Healthy Rivers Program Coordinator Children teach us new things every day and they are full of surprises; the only thing they need is a bit of motivation.  The community of Alto Laguna in Osa, the only indigenous reserve on the Osa Peninsula, is full of forest, life, stunning sunsets and inspiring people. The students of the school in the community received a talk about the importance of the rivers. But more than teaching them, they taught us through art the understanding they have of this...

Community Outreach, Environmental Education, Science and Research, Volunteers and Visitors / 04.05.2019

By Irene Artiñano Banegas, Student in the first annual Costa Rican Restoration & Rewilding Field Course Restoration & Rewilding Field Course participants travelled across the Osa Peninsula to learn about conservation threats and initiatives in the region. Here, Irene, Osa Conservation staff, other course participants visit the Terraba-Sierpe Wetland. Photo: Michelle Monge I learned a lot during my two months in the Restoration & Rewilding Field Course at Osa Conservation. Our adventures included installing camera traps to monitor the activity of different mammals, walking through the forest learning (and hearing...

Environmental Education, Volunteers and Visitors / 17.04.2019

By Ted May, General Volunteer Many environmentally-aware people, including myself, are attracted to Costa Rica because of the awesome biodiversity there. One has opportunity to explore part of a country that houses 5% of the world’s biodiversity in 51,100 km2– mid-way in size between the U.S. state of West Virginia and the European country of Denmark. Ted May climbing a tree to install an owl box, to create microhabitats to help bird populations. When I arrived as a volunteer at Osa Conservation this March, I was able to explore part of this area,...

Uncategorized / 11.04.2019

Blogpost by Marco Hidalgo-Chaverri, Coordinador del Programa de Resiliencia del Ecosistema y Alcance Comunitario   La Ciencia Ciudadana (o Citizen Science), es donde vemos la participación del público en general en actividades de investigación científica en las que los ciudadanos contribuyen activamente, ya sea con su esfuerzo intelectual o con el conocimiento local de su entorno o aportando su propia experiencia cotidiana. Esta forma diferente de hacer ciencia contribuye al conocimiento científico a través de la participación de ciudadanos voluntarios y capacitados que generalmente no son especialistas en el tema a investigar...