News + Stories

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...

Uncategorized / 11.04.2019

Blogpost by Marco Hidalgo-Chaverri, Coordinator of the Ecosystem Resilience and Community Outreach Program Citizen science is the participation of the general public in scientific research activities. Citizens contribute actively, either through active monitoring or with local knowledge of their environment. This different way of doing science contributes to scientific knowledge through the participation of volunteer and trained citizens who are not usually specialists in the subject to be investigated and who contribute to help solve questions raised in scientific studies. Community Biological Monitoring Group of Rancho Quemado, training with the...

Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Science and Research / 04.04.2019

Blogpost by Jonathan Navarro Picado, Healthy Rivers Program Coordinator Whether we perceive it or not, the forest is alive; there is movement, there is disorder, and—most importantly—there are endless interactions. This last word is the key to help make this hidden world clear to our human "worlds,” which are so short and tiny in comparison to the existence of these forests. When you walk through the old growth and secondary forests of the Osa Verde BioStation (Piro), you can see everythimg from herbs, seedlings and shrubs to gigantic trees hundreds...

Uncategorized / 29.03.2019

[embed]https://youtu.be/vjubdLJZJv8[/embed] Blogpost por Kristina Graves, Asistente de campo de investigación del programa Healthy Rivers y estudiante de maestría en el Imperial College de Londres Cuando acababa de llegar al comienzo de la semana, me emocionó mucho saber que Osa Conservation organizaba un "Picnic en el río" para celebrar los ríos de Costa Rica y su importancia para las personas y la vida silvestre. Pensé que sería una excelente manera de entender el contexto de los ríos en Osa y la comunidad y atreverme a aprender algo de español. “Picnic en el...

Aquatic Health, Community Outreach, Environmental Education / 29.03.2019

https://youtu.be/vjubdLJZJv8 Blogpost by Kristina Graves, Healthy Rivers Program Research Field Assistant and Masters Student at Imperial College London Having just arrived at the start of the week, I was really excited to hear that Osa Conservation was hosting a “Picnic in the River” in celebration of Costa Rican rivers and their importance to people and wildlife. I thought it would be a great way to understand the context of rivers in the Osa and community and throw myself headfirst into learning some Spanish.  “Picnic in the River” is an annual festival...

Birds, Community Outreach, Land Conservation and Forest Restoration, Science and Research, Sea Turtles, Volunteers and Visitors / 20.03.2019

Blogpost by Robin Morris and Steve Pearce, General Volunteers It seems like yesterday when we walked through the gate to the Osa Verde BioStation (Piro) for the first time in January 2017 and were greeted by a group scarlet macaws in the trees snacking and squawking.  We’re here now for our third winter excursion, and I have to admit we’ve done some cool things the last couple years.   Robin enjoying a two-year-old balsa forest. During Robin and Steve's 2018 visit, they helped clear plants around the small balsa saplings,...

Uncategorized / 06.03.2019

Blotpost by Sophie Blow, General Volunteer I came to Osa Conservation as a volunteer as part of my year abroad from university to improve my Spanish. I study French, Spanish and Portuguese at Warwick University in the UK and I couldn’t think of anywhere better to immerse myself in a different culture and way of life, while improving my Spanish at the same time, than the beautiful Osa Peninsula. During my spare time as a volunteer, I try to explore the site as much as I can, to discover...