News + Stories

Land Conservation and Forest Restoration / 27.11.2012

[caption id="attachment_4691" align="alignleft" width="225"] A recently planted Zapote Olimpico seedling.[/caption] During this past July, while walking through the Cerro Osa forest, Agustín Mendoza, one of the most charismatic members of Osa Conservation’s conservation and land management team, heard sounds and a great deal of activity at the top of the canopy. As he came closer to the site, he realized that the clamor was coming exclusively from a Zapote tree (Pauteria Sp). This tree was full of juicy fruits characterized by an exquisite orange color and a sweet scent that invaded the monotonous serenity of the forest. In the top of the tree he found a complete troop of spider monkeys that jumped from branch to branch, 35 meters in the air, taking advantage of the sudden abundance of this unusual feast.
Uncategorized / 27.11.2012

Durante el pasado mes de julio mientras caminaba por el bosque de Cerro Osa, Agustín Mendoza uno de los más carismáticos miembros del equipo de conservación y manejo de tierras, percibió ruidos y mucha actividad en lo alto del dosel, con forme se acercaba más al sitio se dio cuenta que toda esta algarabía provenía exclusivamente de un solo árbol de Zapote (Pauteria Sp); este árbol estaba repleto de jugosas frutas de un exquisito color naranja y de cuya pulpa emanaba un olor dulce que invadía la monótona serenidad del bosque; sobre el árbol se encontraba una tropa completa de monos araña los cuales saltaban de rama en rama, a 35 metros de altura, aprovechando la repentina abundancia de este inusual festín, y es que el Zapote Olímpico, como lo llama Agustín, solo fructifica cada 4 años, luego de los cuales permanece desapercibido en la espesura del bosque.
Birds / 16.11.2012

[caption id="attachment_4672" align="alignleft" width="493"] Photo by Manuel Sanchez Mendoza[/caption] If you've ever spent the night in the rainforest you know how deceptive sound can be. Unlike the intriguing daytime peeps, flaps, buzzes and calls that inspire one to explore deeper into holes, hollows, and underbrush, the haunting sounds that pierce the blackness of night cause the uninitiated like me to wholeheartedly question their disbelief of ghosts, goblins and spell-casting forest witches. Nighttime at Piro has a way of transforming torrential downpour into slowly approaching footsteps, guttural howler calls into sinister forest cries. Especially haunting is one sound that I really would have sworn was a ‘bruja’ laughing slowly and eerily into a wooden whistle repeatedly throughout the night.
Science and Research, Sea Turtles / 13.11.2012

By Katie Mascovich [caption id="attachment_4646" align="alignleft" width="300"] The green sea turtle's wounds are healing naturally[/caption] No two night patrols on the Osa are the same, but they usually have the same rhythm. Every now and then, however, something unexpected happens that makes the whole night worthwhile. On November 3, I had one of these experiences. But to fully understand it, I have to tell you about the patrol I had on October 21. That night I was patrolling Pejeperro Beach with Emily, another Research Field Assistant. It was one of those long nights where we knew we would not be back to the station and in our beds until dawn.
Uncategorized / 06.11.2012

Machos y hembras; jóvenes y adultos; amistosos y precavidos; con colores tan variados como los atardeceres que estallan en la Península de Osa; y sobre todo, con un encanto y una simpatía que pocos podrían resistir. Así son los 27 perros que hasta hace pocos meses patrullaban las tibias arenas de playa Pejeperro, en el pacifico sur de Costa Rica. Por mas de 25 años, en un rancho compuesto de otros tantos ranchos, entre arboles de almendra y bulliciosas lapas, vive hasta el día de hoy un hombre que...

Science and Research / 26.10.2012

While the Osa Peninsula, rich with biodiversity and sheer beauty, is a wonderful place to kick back and relax, there are numerous opportunities for visitors to catch a glimpse of some of the world's most fascinating reptiles. Some of which, like the Terciopelo, can be especially hard (and dangerous) to spot. The Terciopelo is a beautiful dark grey, brown or olive green snake, with a dorsal pattern of triangular designs on both sides of its body, resembling a letter 'X' visible from above. It’s a large snake that can grow up to 250 cm (over eight feet!) in length, although the average adult is between 140 and 180 cm (4.6 to 5.9 ft) long. The females are much longer than the males. It principally eats small mammals and birds. The species is viviparous, which means that the embryos grow inside of the mother and are born fully formed. Furthermore, the snake is very fruitful; it can give birth to up to 90 offspring. This high fertility explains in part why the Terciopelo is one of the most abundant snakes in Costa Rica.
Uncategorized / 23.10.2012

La terciopelo es una hermosa serpiente de color gris oscuro, café o verde oliva, con un patrón dorsal de diseños triangulares a ambos lados del cuerpo, los cuales vistos desde arriba semeja una letra X. Es una serpiente grande, que puede alcanzar los 250 cm aunque el promedio de adultos varía entre los 140 y 180 cm de longitud.  Las hembras son mucho más largas que los machos. Se alimentan principalmente de pequeños mamíferos y aves. La especie es vivípara, lo que quiere decir que los embriones se desarrollan dentro de la madre y nacen completamente formados, además es muy fecunda, pudiendo dar a luz hasta 90 crías. Su alta fecundidad explica en parte por qué la terciopelo es una de las serpientes más abundantes de Costa Rica.
Marine Conservation, Science and Research / 12.10.2012

[caption id="attachment_4566" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mogos Islands mark the highest waters of Golfo Dulce.[/caption] By Brooke Bessesen While Jorge and I both loved working on the water, the results of our research brought the greatest rewards. Golfo Dulce is a true bio-gem—one of Costa Rica’s preeminent riches. Several hundred Green sea turtles, critically endangered Hawksbill sea turtles, Olive Ridley sea turtles and (reportedly) Pacific Leatherback sea turtles, rest, feed, mate and nest in the gulf. A rare xanthic colony of pelagic sea snakes resides around the inner basin. Both Northern and Southern Hemisphere Humpback whales enter the inlet to give birth and possibly provide sanctuary for young calves. Whale sharks aggregate in Golfo Dulce. Resident dolphins and other toothed cetaceans breed and raise offspring. Scalloped hammerhead sharks are born there and needlefish spawn. What a remarkably vibrant bionetwork!
Uncategorized / 10.10.2012

Cada año desde hace cuatro años voluntarios se reúnen para recolectar los desechos de la playa y el manglar de Puerto Jiménez. Este año contamos con el apoyo de un grupo de estudiantes del Colegio Técnico de Puerto Jiménez, de los hoteles Bosque del Cabo y  Nicuesa Lodge, los bomberos y el Área de Conservación de Osa. La jornada se inició a las 8.30 am y finalizó a las 12 pm. Se separaron los desechos reciclables como botellas plásticas, latas de aluminio y acero, y vidrio; estos fueron...

Community Outreach, Marine Conservation / 08.10.2012

[caption id="attachment_4531" align="alignleft" width="300"] Panelists discuss the environmental impacts of the proposed marina project at a community forum[/caption] By Andrea Johnson For the last two weekends, hundreds of people from Puerto Jimenez and surrounding towns have crowded together into small hot rooms for hours on end to engage in heated discussions about a very important current affair that is getting people talking in the Osa Peninsula. And there's not a soccer ball in sight. The events are a series of community forums revolving around a proposed development project. Five hour long public forums; democracy can be painful. The project in question is a marina and mega resort-style complex that the owners of Crocodile Bay Resort, an all-inclusive sport-fishing resort in town, want to build out into the waters off the town’s public beach. This would be the first marina to be built on the Osa Peninsula or in the Golfo Dulce, a globally unique marine ecosystem.