Description

ASVO (Association of Volunteers for Service in Protected Areas)is a Costa Rican organization that is dedicated to maintaining and preserving national parks, communities and beaches throughout Costa Rica. The organization was started in, was founded on January 27, 1989 in the response to the growing realization that although Costa Rica is renowned for their natural resources and biodiversity, there was very little awareness around environmental protection by many people who lived in Costa Rica. Originally focusing on the preservation of national parks, the program eventually expanded to include sea turtle conservation, community education and habitat identification.

ASVO is a non-profit and non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote the importance of preserving the environment by operating a number of grass-root conservation projects and conducting a variety of educational workshops throughout the country. Over the years environmental issues such as deforestation, species extinction, forest fires, and climate change have been addressed by the members of ASVO as they have worked to expand their programs through the country.

ASVO places volunteers in national parks and other areas protected by the Ministry of Environment and Energy all over the country. The organization currently has stations in twenty-eight different locations all over Costa Rica, from Corcovado in the south to Guanacaste in the north. These projects are divided into four categories: Wildlife Refuges, Education and Communities, Sea Turtle Projects and National Parks.

Sea turtle conservation in Costa rica is very important. Many of the sea turtles that come to the beaches of Costa Rica have been poached for many years. Many of these turtles are now on the endangered species list and if efforts to preserve these turtles are not implemented some types of sea turtles will become extinct.

The turtle nesting season here lasts from March to May. There is three main reason:

1. To make the community of Gandoca aware of the need for, and to bring them to aid in, the protection of the marine turtles that come to nest in their community.
2. To begin and execute a methodology of control and protection of the marine turtles.
3. To promote educational activities within the Gandoca community and neigboring communities, in order to incorporate the social activists in activities that contribute to the protection and recovery of the environment.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities:
- Receive training in working with marine turtles.
- Mount nightly protective beach patrols to protect marine turtles.
- Aid in beach cleaning activities
- Identify and record turtle trails.
- Look for and find turtle nests.
- Count the eggs and relocate them to a more secure location (nursery).
- Monitor turtle nests.
- Aid the baby turtles in their return to the ocean.
- Aid in taking the temperature of the nests.
- Aid in biometric measurements (length and width).
-Support activities in maintenance of the infrastructure.
-Have time to enjoy the beauties of the area.
-Participate in cultural activities.

Volunteers are required to work 6 days per week with a day off. From 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, the principal work will occur at night, in protective turtle patrols and collection of turtle information.

Not essential background but the ability to work in a tropical environment, good health, and a desire to aid in the conservation of marine turtles, and natural resources in general.

People who do not like the rain and living in a rural area may have a hard time on this placement.

URL: http://www.basecampvolunteerabroad.com/sites/bc-volunteer-abroad/place_details.cfm?pl_id=1026
Tags: conservation, Costa Rica, volunteer, volunteering
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