Tortugas de Pacuare is a non-profit organization created to protect the most endangered turtles in the world, supported 100% by volunteers.
Why coming as a volunteer to save sea turtles in Costa Rica?
Costa Rica has many of the most important beaches in the world for turtle nesting. The government protects some areas, especially national parks, but many important beaches for turtles are unprotected. For this reason we started our project Tortugas de Pacuare and with the help of volunteers around the world. We have been working and saving turtles for more than 12 years now! Without the help of the volunteers, protecting these wonderful animals wouldn't be possible.
The protection of the turtles and the biodiversity of this area is our goal. In order to achieve it, we need the help of international volunteers. You, as a volunteer, should have the willingness to help with tasks that require a close attention. To support our diligent helpers, we create an atmosphere at the Tortugas de Pacuare project that makes them feel like at home. You should have a desire of leaving a mark in a humble village as well as the desire to succeed in the fight for a good cause.
Our project Tortugas de Pacuare is located 40 km South of Tortuguero in a small town called Barra de Pacuare, an island in the middle of the Caribbean. This makes us one of the most strategic destinations for leatherback turtles, green turtles, and hawksbill turtles, which are some of the most threatened species and are in serious danger of extinction. On the island are living a few people, there are several bars; the closest one is called "Las Machas". There, the volunteers can also buy what they need like shampoo, gel shower etc. or biscuits, cookies, cigarettes, beers etc.
Our vision is to save these turtles by hard work and making a change, not only for the animals, but also for the people, starting with the education of the children of our community.
A lot of reasons can steer a volunteer to take part in a humanitarian project: a cheaper way of travelling or a new experience and a different way of living. The volunteers come to learn about turtles, to improve their Spanish, to live a new experience, to isolate themselves and disconnect themselves from the reality.
We want to make your stay with us as enjoyable as possible, excited to share with you. Your help is necessary to maintain the preservation of sea turtles. Without our patrols, the beach will be vulnerable. We want you to enjoy your experience with us as much as possible.
What does a volunteer need to bring to Pacuare? (packing)
In the following list, you will find objects that you should take with you in order to make your stay in Pacuare more comfortable. This list is also helpful for travelling around Costa Rica.
Essential:
Day work
The type of work depends on the period of the year, the number of volunteers and the night work. Sometimes, you will work during a certain amount of hours and sometimes till the end of the task
We try to make the day work as relax as possible because night patrols are tiring. But if a volunteer wants to work on a particular task, which is very important to him, the volunteer must feel free to do it without waiting for staff members’ instructions
Pastimes
The project has some books and games to
entertain oneself and chill out.
Du hast eine Seite aufgerufen, die es auf unserer Website nicht mehr gibt. Dies könnte durch einen fehlerhaften Link, durch eine falsche Adresse in der Adressleiste oder einfach dadurch, dass der Beitrag gelöscht wurde, verursacht werden.
Social Impact
Before Tortugas de Pacuare started, people from Barra de Pacuare didn't have many choices to meet their family needs. One of their ways to earn money was stealing and then poaching turtle eggs as well as full-grown turtles.
By now many people have understood how important the protection of the turtles is for our community. Our turtle conservation project not only protects the turtles, but gives an opportunity to these people to work. Right now people from Pacuare and volunteers from all around the world are working hand in hand for the conservation of turtles and of the environment.
By working with sea turtles and communal and environmental education programs, we will be able to educate people on the importance of caring about such a valuable environmental resource such as turtles.