Sea Turtle Conservation and Education Program

> VERSION ESPAÑOL <

COORDINATOR

Volunteer Coordinator Position (VCP)

SITMAR is offering 8 positions to experienced turtle conservationists to help coordinate and manage the conservation and environmental education project in Carate, Costa Rica.

The Volunteer Coordinator will be essential in including the volunteers in every aspect of the program.

The obligations of a Volunteer Coordinator will include:

Prepare new volunteers with orientation of our methodology used for the project.
Coordinate groups for night patrols on the beach
Verify that the work equipment and vehicles are clean and in good shape
Revise the data from the previous night in the morning.
Coordinate management of the hatchery; including 3-hour checks, and excavations
Maintain the kilometer markers on the beach in good condition
Maintain hatchery in good conditions
Help with the coordination of activities for volunteers

Research with your local medical facility on what inoculations or vaccinations you need to protect yourself against tropical disease in the Osa peninsula (Our staff does not take malaria medication and there have not been any cases of malaria in the Osa for a long, long time.)

This will be an unforgettable experience where you will learn a lot about the tropical ecosystems of the Pacific southern zone of Costa Rica and help to protect and important sea turtle nesting beach.

Requirements for Volunteer Coordinator

Must be a University graduate studying biology, ecology or a related field, graduate student or a person with experience working with a similar project.
Complete and send in the application form for Volunteers
Send a copy of University transcripts.
Two recommendations from professors or people who know your work(send the with application)
Must have the attitude and dream to help conserve sea turtles
Must be in good physical condition to walk for many kilometers on soft sand
Bilingual in Spanish and English is helpful
Valid Drivers License helpful

Coordinator Position Aplication Form

POSITION:	Volunteer Coordinator
NAME:
DATE OF BIRTH:
ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL:
OCCUPATION:
UNIVERSITY (STUDENTS ONLY):
YEAR OR LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
HOW MUCH TIME YOU WILL BE IN THE STATION?
REASON FOR WANTING TO BE A VOLUNTEER WITH SITMAR:
INTERESTS AND HOBBIES:
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE:
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE:

While you are in Costa Rica our contacts are:

Salvamento Internacional de la Tortuga del Mar- SITMAR
http://www.crseaturtles.org

Rachel Silverman
contact@crseaturtles.org
Costa Rica Program Director

Fabian A. Sanchez
contact@crseaturtles.org
Education Director

Jason Murray
contact@crseaturtles.org
Conservation Director

PO Box 13700-1000
San Jose Costa Rica

PO Box 49-8203
Puerto Jimenez, Golfito
Costa Rica

Telephone in Puerto Jimenez: (506) 735-5757
Fabian’s Cellular: (506) 838-9171

If you are applying to be a student volunteer or volunteer coordinator please do not forget to send two recommendations along with the application.

Useful info:

There is a satellite phone available for international calls at the field station in Carate. We will have a schedule when the phone will be available to receive international calls which each volunteer will be sent prior to arriving at the station, just in case loved ones want to talk to you.

In case of emergency, Carate has an airstrip serviced by a small domestic airline, Alfa Romeo Aerotaxi, which provides 24-hour emergency service. Golfito is less than 20 minutes away by air and has a hospital; San Jose is less than an hour flight where there are many modern medical facilities and hospitals. For not-so emergency care, the station has first aid equipment and trained staff. Additionally, Puerto Jimenez has a medical clinic that can help with anything from a twisted ankle and sore throats to snake bite and childbirth. No expectant mothers please.

Carate is a very beautiful but very remote place. It is only 45 km from the main town of Puerto Jimenez but you have to make the trip in a 4x4 vehicle and it takes more than 1 1/2 hours. There are no phone lines or electricity lines. We use solar energy to run our station. There is no Internet outside of Puerto Jimenez. Most volunteers go back to town to email or wash clothes once every week or two. Our water comes from a spring and is good to drink. There are many biting insects, so bring repellent. The sea turtle come up during the rainy season so we get very wet while we are working; pack accordingly. There are no stores in Carate, so you should have everything you need when you arrive at the station.

Travel information:

There are a few different ways that you can get to the field station in Carate.

The cheap, but very long way: there are two buses from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez, one at 6am and one at 12pm. The bus company is Lobo Blanco and is located 100 meters diagonal from the bus stop for San Carlos in San Jose (telephone: (506) 257-4121). The cost is approximately 2500 colones and the trip takes about eight hours. The bus station is not in a good area of San Jose so keep your eyes and body parts around your bags. The thieves are fast and invisible here and the police won’t help get your stuff back if it gets stolen. We suggest having the taxi wait with you until the bus arrives at the station.

The quick but expensive way: there are two domestic airlines that fly to Puerto Jimenez multiple times a day. The trip takes about 45 min and costs up to $90 per person. We fly Nature Air.

NATURE AIR
Telephone Puerto Jimenez:(506) 735-5062 OR 735-5722, fax:(506) 735-5043
Telephone San Jose: (506) 220-3054
http://www.natureair.net

SANSA
Telephone Puerto Jimenez: (506) 735-5017, fax: (506) 735-5495
Telephone San Jose: (506) 221-9414
http://www.flysansa.com

Once you arrive in Puerto Jimenez there is a collectivo bus that will take you to Carate. It leaves twice a day at 6am and 1:30pm. The trip takes about two hours and costs approximately 2500 colones (approx. $6US). This will be the transport you take back and forth from Carate to Puerto Jimenez for email, laundry, etc. Just tell the driver that you are headed for the sea turtle conservation project in Carate and they will drop you off at the Field Station Laguna Tortuga.