Cabuyal Team – Leatherback

Call for Volunteers: Cabuyal Beach

admin — Tue, 21 May 2019 12:23:00 +0000

Call for volunteers: Cabuyal beach (2019-2020 field season)

Each year, many dedicated volunteers join our researchers at Cabuyal beach, Costa Rica to assist with the monitoring and protection of endangered sea turtles. Cabuyal, a beautiful secluded beach close to Liberia, is home to three species of sea turtles (greens, leatherbacks and olive ridleys). It is situated south to Santa Rosa National Park, and is surrounded by tropical dry forest and mangroves. The Leatherback Trust started a long-term sea turtle monitoring and protection program here in 2011 under the supervision of our Science Director, Dr. Pilar Santidrián Tomillo.

Volunteers working at Cabuyal conduct nightly patrols in search of nesting turtles. They assist with data collection and measuring nesting turtles. When turtles nest below the high-tide line, volunteers help relocating eggs from nests at risk of inundation to a safer location on the beach. Other responsibilities include monitoring of nests, excavating hatched nests, and recording temperature data from incubating nests. There is also the potential for volunteers to assist with other ongoing scientific research projects.

Conditions: Applicants must be in good physical shape and comfortable with working long hours at night. Night patrols generally last up to 6 hours, over which time field biologists walk distances exceeding 10 km in soft sand. Applicants must also be comfortable working in tropical conditions, with extreme heat, humidity and mosquitoes.

Duration: The position is from October 1^st, 2021, until March 1st, 2022. Final project dates are subject to change depending on the status of the Covid – 19 pandemic. Priority will be given to applicants who are able to stay for the entire project duration, although in rare cases special circumstances may be accommodated.

Benefits: Although the position is unpaid, The Leatherback Trust covers airfare and transportation costs to and from the project site and provides food and dorm-style accommodation (bunk beds) at the Goldring-Gund Marine Biology Station for the duration of the position. Please note that The Leatherback Trust maintains strict protection protocols against Covid – 19.

Qualifications: Applicants should be at least 21 years of age and hold a Bachelor’s degree in biology (science background is a plus) or equivalent. Fluency in Spanish is considered a plus. Applicants must be able to work under demanding conditions, work as part of a group and have strong inter-personal skills related to living in close proximity with their team mates. An active driver’s license is encouraged, but not compulsory. Further, successful applicants must be fully vaccinated against the SARS-COV-2 virus at least three weeks before the start of the project.

Application Details: If you are interested in applying for a Field Biologist position with The Leatherback Trust, please send a statement of interest, a confirmation of your availability for the October-March duration, a copy of your resume or CV and contact details for two references. All application materials should be sent to apply@leatherback.org with the indication “Field Biologist Position” on the subject line no later than June 20th, 2021. We will notify all applicants of decisions by September 1^st, 2021.

Conditions: Volunteers must be in good physical shape and comfortable with working long hours at night. Night patrols generally last between 4 and 8 hours, over which time volunteers may walk distances exceeding 10 km. Volunteers must also be prepared to work in tropical conditions, with extreme heat, humidity and mosquitoes. We provide dorm-style accommodation (bunk beds) at our field station, located at a relatively isolated location approximately 20 minutes’ walk away from the beach. The station has basic but adequate cooking and sanitary facilities: there is no electricity or internet, but we have running potable water, and a functional kitchen equipped with gas stoves and iceboxes. There is also a small solar panel that allows charging of small devices.

Duration: The project runs from September 15th, 2019, until March 30th, 2020. Volunteers can join the project at any time during this period.

Participation fees: Volunteers pay a daily fee of $17.00 (note: $8 for Costa Rican residents) for the duration of their participation. The fee goes towards covering food costs, logistics, research permits and administration costs, and cannot be waived under any circumstances.

Requirements: Volunteers should be at least 18 years of age and must carry a personal health insurance policy for the duration of their stay with the project. Minimum participation duration is 7 days, but it is highly recommended that volunteers stay with the project for a longer term, e.g. at least two or three weeks. Applicants must be able to work under demanding conditions, work as part of a group and have strong inter-personal skills related to sharing in a communal life and living in close proximity with their team mates.

Application Details: For more information or to apply to be a volunteer for us at Cabuyal, please contact Dr. Santidrián Tomillo at volunteers@leatherback.org. Volunteer positions are filled on a first come first served basis, however there is a preference for those wishing to stay for longer periods of time. Please note that there is a greater need for volunteers at the start (September-November) and end (February-March) of the Project.

First Leatherback and Hatched Nests

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 17:07:00 +0000

News from Cabuyal: First Leatherback and Hatched Nests

We had our first leatherback this season at Cabuyal on the night of Dec 10th and she was a new turtle. Although Cabuyal is mainly a green turtle nesting beach (also frequented by olive ridleys), it serves as a secondary nesting beach for leatherback turtles. Since we started working at Cabuyal in 2011, we have seen leatherback turtles every year and identified between 5 and 20 leatherback nests per year.

Some of the team members had previous experience with leatherbacks, but for some of the staff and volunteers this was their first encounter with a leatherback, so you can imagine the excitement! Nothing compares to being on a dark beach in the middle of a starry night and finding a leatherback emerging from the water. Leatherbacks being so rare these days also adds something to the experience.

On other news, the first green turtle and olive ridley nests of the season hatched at Cabuyal, and the hatchlings made it safely to the water. A few nests were lost to inundation (Cabuyal is a very dynamic beach), but we are successfully continuing to prevent poaching.

Volunteer at Playa Cabuyal

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 19:28:00 +0000

Sea turtle volunteer project at Playa Cabuyal

Volunteer Project

The work includes:

Night patrols: these are 4-6 hour shifts. During night patrols we mark and measure the turtles, count eggs, mark and protect nests, and give information to tourists as needed.
Morning walks: during morning walks we cover the extent of the beach, count tracks and mark nests. Rays, whales, and dolphins can be spotted during morning walks.
Other beach activities: these usually take place in the afternoon. These include triangulation of nests, taking nest temperatures, or doing nest excavations, and giving information to tourists when they are present.
Assisting with cooking and camp cleaning.

Volunteer Profile

We seek for people with the following characteristics:

Enthusiastic volunteers who are willing to work as part of a team and have a genuine interest in nature and field work.
There is no internet at the camp site and there is limited electricity and phone coverage. It is important that the volunteer can live under these conditions and enjoy them. Nevertheless, there are toilet services, drinkable water and a place to cook.
Volunteers must be able to walk on soft sand for several hours and work under conditions of sleep deprivation at times.

Requirements

You must send the following information to Maria del Pilar Santidrián, bibi@leatherback.org:

Curriculum vitae or professional resume
A document that explains your interest in participating in the project.
Dates that you want to volunteer, which must be more than 4 days.
International insurance
You also need to:

Cover food and other expenses (3 meals per day).
Cover expenses to travel to and from the site.

Contact

Enjoy, learn and, overall, support sea turtles conservation in a place full of nature. More information: +506 2653-0635, Facebook: Leatherback Trust or bibi@leatherback.org.