Volunteers Needed: Rescue Sea Turtles in Chile

  Costa Rica

• Central Pacific Coast: 
Punta Banco

Durations of Program: 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks, 3-6 months, 7-12 months and 1-2 years
Dates: See website for dates

Description: Protect and conserve turtles off the Pacific Coast when you volunteer with our Sea Turtle Project in Costa Rica. Turtle eggs have been heavily poached on the Pacific Coast, and increasing tourism has caused many nesting sites to be damaged or polluted. As a result, a number of turtle species have become endangered and are in need of protection. As a volunteer in Costa Rica, you will be working at a sea turtle hatchery in the small town of San Miguel on the north-central Pacific Coast or a sea turtle hatchery in the small town of Punta Banco on the southern Pacific Coast.

Volunteers on this project will be heavily involved with the nesting and hatching of sea turtles. You will be walking the beaches at night, seeking nesting mother turtles. When a turtle is found, you will tag and measure it, and gently collect the eggs for transfer to the safety of a hatchery. During certain times of year, you will have the opportunity to participate in the release of hundreds of tiny hatchlings into the sea. Your volunteer work in Costa Rica will also include environmental education programs for the local community. Your volunteer work will directly help the dwindling population of the sea turtles of the Pacific Coast.

Highlights:
As a volunteer you will:
* Perform beach walks to find nesting turtles
* Collect turtle eggs
* Bury turtle eggs at the hatchery
* Monitor eggs and baby turtles
* Release baby turtles into the ocean
* Help with local conservation education projects

Qualifications:
* Must be at least 18 years old

Cost in US$: See website

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Volunteer Adventures makes it easy to live your dream of volunteering. Anyone can volunteer, as long as you have the desire to help others and an open mind.

Age Range: 18 and older

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Participants Travel to Costa Rica Independently

Volunteer Adventures's Mission Statement: The mission of Volunteer Adventures is to create and promote volunteer opportunities that improve the lives of others and the environment in which we live. We seek to achieve this goal by connecting worthy local projects with volunteers around the world. Many local organizations are doing great work in their communities, but don't have the resources required to recruit international volunteers. Volunteer Adventures serves as the link between these organizations and the volunteers needed to make these projects a success. All volunteer programs depend on the skilled coordination of a variety of elements: enthusiastic volunteers, meaningful work, organized projects, and supportive staff. It is our goal at Volunteer Adventures to orchestrate this process for you. We use our global experience and resources to provide volunteer experiences that bring pride and satisfaction to everyone involved.