Sea Turtle Conservation and Education Program

Environmental Education Program

With the idea to complement the conservation program, SITMAR developed an environmental education program (PEA) in which we include the community actively in our sea turtle conservation effort, showing that there is an alternate system (ecotourism) of using our natural resources without destroying them. The principle threats and pressure that sea turtles encounter on the Osa peninsula originate from human beings and their activities (extraction of eggs and the presence of domestic animals on the beach, like dogs).

This component is integrated in the high schools of Puerto Jimenez and Golfito. We also include the elementary schools of Rio Oro, Piro, Carbonera and Puerto Jimenez.

• Cycles of Conferences.
Classes about the aspects of the biology, ecology, threats, and details of the conservation of sea turtles.

• Field Trips.
Different school groups periodically visit the Field Station Laguna Tortuga, Carate, during the sea turtle nesting season. During their stay at the station the students participate in many different activities centered on investigation, academics and recreation.

• Student Symposium.
In an effort to present the results of the work from each group that visits the field station, the alumni of the Puerto Jimenez and Golfito High Schools developed a student symposium.

• Work Groups.
In addition to learning about sea turtles, the students participate with the creation of work groups that dedicate their activities to: cleaning up the beaches, creating tutor and mentor groups to help with schoolwork, designing and creation of murals in the high schools and different sectors of Puerto Jimenez.

2- Community Participation
This includes the communities that live close to the nesting beaches and Puerto Jimenez. Diverse activities like local community meetings, evaluation workshops, recreational and integration activities (Soccer Sunday) and capacitation courses on interesting themes are developed periodically. With a social pretense, we get to know our local community and at the same time educate about the importance of preserving our natural resources like sea turtles.

3- Inter-institutional Component
Because of the complexity of problems that confront sea turtles on the Osa peninsula, the implementation of solutions need to be characterized by the participation of many governmental institutions. Within this theme of contacts and participation we developed the “First Workshop for capacitation in management techniques, conservation and investigation of sea turtle populations.”
SITMAR and National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation have been helped by many other non-governmental and governmental organizations, in addition to local businesses in the southern zone of Costa Rica; Pretoma, Mar Viva, Promar, The Nature Conservancy, Cecropia Foundation, Minae, Incopesca, Servicio de Guardacostas and many more.

The Environmental Education Program has initiated a change in the way the people of the Osa peninsula think about their natural resources, principally the younger generations. Involving the local youth in programs that SITMAR has developed on the local beaches and giving knowledge about the reality of sea turtles to the local community allows us to think about the not-too distant future when the non-natural threats that confront these reptiles are reduced and their use as a natural resource is modeled in a way ultimately to become sustainable.

During the 2002, 2004 seasons Environmental Education Program was involved with the schools of Rio Oro, Carbonera and Puerto Jimenez Technical High School; the community located near the nesting beaches; governmental and non-governmental organizations; local hotels and guide associations. The methodology we used permitted us to share knowledge about sea turtles with the communities; how in danger of extinction these reptiles are and how the local community can be part of the solution.

We have had incredible results combining conservation and education. We are trying to protect the natural world without forgetting about local communities and their interests.

To complement and help the diverse activities of education and conservation we developed education materials (Education workbook and brochures that include specific information about sea turtles and the ecosystems of Pacific Costa Rica, t-shirts, posters, and stickers).