Sea Turtle Conservation and Research

During the nesting season you will be formed into patrols and spend nights walking the beach in search of nesting turtles. Once a turtle is found, you must wait until it has finished laying, collect the eggs and then bury them in our hatchery. Nests in hatcheries are marked and recorded in a log.

Once the eggs begin hatching (mid-July to January), you will assist in releasing the hatchlings and excavating the nests to determine the hatchling success rate, which is usually over 90%. Hatchlings should be released at night or early or late in the day, as close to the time they hatch as possible. They should not be released during the heat of the day as there are more predators and the midday sun will dehydrate them. You will work and learn from our experienced staff.

Research in turtle biology is also conducted. You can assist in measuring nest and sand temperatures, conducting daily crawl counts (counting turtle tracks) and monitoring and recording hatchling success rates. Crawl counts are especially important as they allow us to determine whether sea turtle populations are rising, stable or declining, and they allow us to monitor the effectiveness of our egg-collecting activities. If you wish to take part in these research activities, you are encouraged to develop your own research initiatives.

Caiman and Iguana breeding

Crocodiles and other animals were once abundant on the south coast, but are rapidly disappearing due to hunting and habitat loss. Crocodiles and iguanas are captive bred on the grounds of the park and off-spring is released into the nearby mangrove forests. Volunteers assist in the feeding and care of breeding caimans and iguanas, although there is not much work involved with this project and it is somewhat dangerous, so we limit the volunteers’ participation.

Environmental Education

We believe that environmental education is key in addressing the root causes of environmental degradation in Guatemala and dedicate nearly 50% of our overall budget to such activities. You can collaborate in environmental education activities including teaching extra-curricular classes in local schools, developing curriculum, and conducting beach clean ups, turtle releases and environmental fairs. In the past, participants have taken the initiative to conduct “green English” courses, and sea turtle puppet shows and plays and school improvement projects.

Community Projects

Successful conservation efforts in other parts of the world have shown the need to work closely with local communities. This is especially true in a country like Guatemala with its extreme poverty and social inequity, and where the resources and/or will on the part of the government to impose more stringent conservation measures are lacking.

This project is an integrated project that, while attempting to conserve the flora and fauna of the area also tries to offer local residents economic alternatives to improve the quality of their lives. Among the sustainable development activities that we have carried out, with the support of volunteers, are projects in potable water, waste water treatment, gender, eco-tourism, efficient wood-burning stoves and school construction. Volunteers also assisted in relief efforts following Hurricane Stan. If you are interested in developing your own community project in the area, please let us know.