Mexico Sea Turtle Conservation Project

I spent four weeks in the rain forest of the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica on the frontier project 'Big cats, Primates and sea turtle conservation.'
When I arrived in Costa Rica , puerto jimenez a frontier member of staff met us at the air strip and we all stayed the night in the town before heading out to the camp. This was a great as it allowed me an the other volunteer which i had not yet met to get to know each other also to explore the town on our own. At camp I did not know what to expect of the camp but when we arrived i was amazed at the quality. There was a flushing toilet and handmade showers which made settling in much easier. I chose to sleep in the hammocks which i can honestly say are the most comfiest things to sleep in! All the staff members were amazing I felt like I had known them for years and they became good friends by the end of the month. This project is set in the most beautiful place with huge biodiversity , you are surrounded by so many amazing animals and birds. All the surveys were really interesting and gave an insight to animals in the tropics. Every morning you would be woken up by your natural alarm clock , the Howler Monkeys ,the day would start around 8 am after making granola for breakfast the group split up and set off to do different surveys around the rain forest. I loved doing the surveys , especially the primate ones. Observing different troops of monkeys in the wild was an amazing experience as well it taught me how to record data which will be helpful for future projects.
All the surveys were really interesting and gave an insight to animals in the tropics. In the evenings after dinner we were able to go on night turtle walks on Peje beach walking 18km in one night . Despite it being physically exhausting it was extremely rewarding when I finally got to see and touch an adult Olive Ridley Sea Turtle.. My best memory from camp is when I was hanging out my washing to dry when out of the forest came a troop of capuchin monkeys and they all just swung through the trees only a couple of metres in front of me. On Sunday when there was no surveys I would walk down to the peaceful lagoon on the beach with a couple of volunteers an just relax for a few hours staring out at the Pacific. Every Saturday night was party night where we would have a couple of drinks and play card games with the frontier volunteers and some of the osa volunteers. I met so many interesting people from all over thee world. I made such good friends out there and had such a good time I was sad to return home! There are endless memories from my trip to Costa Rica , I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone. Pura Vida !!

The only concern I had was I took certain things with me which I was told I was told to take but were not needed.

I have spent 4 weeks in the forest of Costa Rica and have had the most exhilarating experience. Not only have I learnt a lot about such a wonderful area, I have also had the opportunity to expand my field research skills, design and implement my own survey and boosting my confidence and enthusiasm.

Carrying out a BTEC certificate allowed me to focus on gaining further field research skills and learn about an area that I am unfamiliar with. I would recommend the 4 week BTEC to anyone who wants to gain some experience in planning their own field research. The staff on site were more than happy to help discuss ideas, provide support and assist with the surveys.

Life on camp was rather relaxed and the campsite was wonderful. Having flushing toilets and showers was a definite comfort, as well as having my own tent for some privacy. The food was vegetarian and really delicious, we ate really well and it was fun to cook for the group – the others were also keen to help out too. I felt safe on camp and during the surveys and other outings. We had a lot of fun during the trip, including trips to the local bar, games nights and fancy dress. There really was something for everyone.

The experience as a whole has been amazing. The location is perfect to experience all sorts of surveys rather than focusing just on one type. I have seen so much wildlife here and had a chance to learn about research, how to use my camera and gained more experience of planning and carrying out my own research. I feel that I have also gained more confidence and have definitely had an enthusiasm boost which I am going to apply when I get home to my PhD proposal.