Así, se dio conocer los proyectos en los cuales la RPT está trabajando, como el monitoreo de cocodrilos y caimanes, monitoreo de rayas, proyecto de repoblamiento de arrecifes de coral y el emblemático proyecto de conservación de tortugas marinas. Además, se realizaron caminatas fotográficas, observación de aves y visitas guiadas a los senderos de la Reserva. De esta forma, pudimos entender mejor la importancia de monitorear y conocer mejor las especies en sus hábitats, como usan el espacio y las diversas amenazas existentes. 

Otra actividad muy importante para la RPT es la educación ambiental y la ciencia participativa. Las alianzas son fundamentales y la implicación de las comunidades locales, como las autoridades son fundamentales para avanzar en el camino de la conservación y el cuidado de la vida silvestre y nuestros ecosistemas. Oscar Brenes, director de la RPT, recalcó que, sin estos ecosistemas, sin esta biodiversidad, se afectaría la economía de nuestra comunidad que vive del turismo y el turismo viene aquí por la biodiversidad de Costa Rica y eso en definitiva afectaría nuestro bienestar.  

La apuesta de la RPT para fomentar estas alianzas, desde siempre ha sido el trabajo de sensibilización con los y las niñas y jóvenes de la zona. En esta línea, se presentó la experiencia de las iniciativas de educación y los campamentos de verano que acogen niños y niñas de los pueblos de alrededores en los cuales se acercan al trabajo de conservación y a aprender sobre la riqueza de su entorno. Este uno de los proyectos que la RPT está más orgullosa ya que ha visto crecer a algunos y algunas de ellas y mantener vivo este compromiso hacia la conservación y seguir involucrándose con la RPT. Un exemplo ha sido la presentación de Karolyn sobre su experiencia y trayectoria como voluntaria local en los proyectos de la RPT y quién irá a Colombia, en el marco del Simposio Internacional de Tortugas Marinas, para presentar el trabajo del grupo de jóvenes voluntarios de Ojochal en el evento de Conservación de tortugas marinas desde las comunidades organizado por RETOMALA, Red de especialistas en tortugas marinas de América Latina.  

A todos los asistentes muchas gracias por compartir con nosotros estos dos días. Hasta la próxima. 

Nota: Stéphanie Barrial 

Fotos: Felipe Thomas 

With the first year of monitoring, we have a picture of the ray’s habitat in the Térraba River. The contribution of this second year of study will be the strengthening of the baseline that allows knowing the use of habitat and generating management and conservation strategies for rays in this important ecosystem.

During the first year of monitoring we found that the only ray species captured was Styracura pacifica. All individuals captured were small, probably juveniles. Most of them captured in intertidal pools, so it is interesting to evaluate their residence during the current year. The CPUE increased in the rainy season, which suggests increasing the monitoring this season. In this way, it is important to develop training for fishermen in order to reduce the impact of individuals affected by bycatch – pointed out Graciela Pulido, Project Manager of this initiative.

The Térraba River is the largest river in Costa Rica and its mangrove swamp offers shelter and nursery areas to hundreds of fish species, including sharks and rays. Knowing the populations of rays and their distribution in the wetland is key to understanding their condition both in the wetland and in the ocean, as well as the development of future conservation strategies. This initiative financed by “beca azul” de Misión Tiburón for second time will pass to be part of normal monitoring of RPT in the future. We know that there is a need to generate knowledge in this area, which is aligned with our research objectives- pointed out Oscar Brenes, Director of RPT.

Photos and text by @f_thomas_photography

Estos días pudimos conocer en el campo como es el trabajo de la conservación y logramos reflexionar al respecto con los jóvenes. Evidenciamos las necesidades de conservación e investigación y cómo las pequeñas acciones pueden ayudar a generar un gran cambio – señaló Andrey Jiménez Chinchilla- Dirigente de la sección Wak-Tsurí.

El lugar nos parece increíble, hemos aprendido bastante, la limpieza de playa y las actividades de servicio, aprender sobre las tortugas, cocodrilos y caimanes, todo explicado de una manera sencilla y cercana – señaló Mario Ernesto Pérez Rosales (16 años).

La protección, el cuidado de la naturaleza, aprender sobre su condición y la biodiversidad. Así como entender el esfuerzo y el gran trabajo que se realiza en RPT, como la necesidad del trabajo en equipo para lograr el éxito del proceso de. conservación. La experiencia ha sido muy enriquecedora – señaló Jimena Méndez Marín (17 años).

Para el equipo de RPT ha sido muy interesante el compartir con el grupo de Scouts estos días, el conocer los distintas formas que tienen los jóvenes de relacionarse con la naturaleza, ya sea espiritual, contemplación, conexión, relajación, amor, protección, entre otros, es clave para comprender y mirar hacia el futuro en lo que ha conservación se refiere. Por otra parte, tener la oportunidad de dar a conocer el conocimiento científico de los programas de investigación entre los más jóvenes constituye una de los objetivos principales de la Reserva -señaló Felipe Thomas – Fotógrafo y Biólogo Marino de RPT.

Summer Camp is an eco-focused camp arising from the need for children in small rural communities to access and participate in recreational and educational activities for summer vacation. The objective of this initiative is to guide youth and promote conservation by inspiring an appreciation of natural resources near their communities. Proposed activities include presentations about marine life, sea turtles and their habitats and threats, beach cleanup, and various field-based programs including a visit to the sea turtle hatchery, working at the Butterfly Garden, setting up cameras traps, trips to museum, national parks, etc.

IMPORTANT: To participate in our Sponsorship program donations must be submitted by December 30.

To receive the Sponsorship Program and/or make a donation, please contact directly RPT Environmental Education Program and Summer Camp coordinator, Melissa Jimenez K. mjimenez@reservaplayatortuga.org

What is the trigger for macaws to visit Ojochal and the surroundings of the reserve? That is the main question for the research that the student Marnix van Schaik from HAS University (Netherlands) carried on during his 5 months internship this year at Reserva Playa Tortuga.

Some of the questions that help him during the study were: What are the macaws doing?, what do they eat?, are there nest opportunities?, do the macaws avoid predators and competitors like toucans or aracaris?

Following is a summary that Marnix prepared after he finished the study:

The populations of scarlet macaws (Ara macao) in Central America have been declining for a long time. In Costa Rica, it has been moving in the right direction since 1980. In order to understand the macaws better and maintain the populations, a study was conducted in February 2019 to July 2019 into the population of macaws in the coastal side of Ojochal, Costa Rica.

By monitoring trails, there is examined why the macaws came to Ojochal. Various factors were taken, such as the behavior of the macaws, food sources that the macaws use, whether there are nesting places and whether the macaws avoid predators and competitors.

The results show that the macaws come to Ojochal every morning to spend the day. In midday, the macaws can be found in the higher mangrove trees where the macaws socialize. In the afternoon, 33% of the population goes to their food sources. The majority of them foresee the almonds present. The other part of the population stays a little bit longer in the mangroves and after goes back to the overnight accommodation, south of the research area. No nesting sites were found during the research. So this is not a reason why macaws come to Ojochal.

Another factor that has been included in the study but has no influence on the population of macaws is the factor predators and competitors of nests. No nests are found because the macaws are picky in the habitat of nesting places and not because the predators are in the area.

The macaws use Ojochal to socialize in the high mangroves and the macaws come to visit the food sources. However, with the rising water level, these trees are endangered and threaten to disappear. So it is not only the aquatic animals that will suffer from climate change. Macaws are also losing their safe habitats. Knowledge about safe areas that the macaws pass on for generations will be lost. People will, therefore, have to be more aware of the environment in which they live in order to maintain these places. Through the effort of organizations such as RPT, more will become known about nature and nature will be better preserved.

How was the butterfly garden born?

The butterfly garden began in 2010, as an initiative at that time of the Biologist Oscar Brenes, to create a space for research and reproduction of butterflies. In addition to this the Butterfly House was built and the reproduction of butterflies began.

In 2011, with the attention of Biologist Elena Vargas, visits were initiated by students from educational centers such as Flor de Bahía, Escuela Verde and Escuela Tortuga, in order to learn about the life cycle of butterflies, iridescence and their importance in the ecosystem.

As of 2012, the B.Sc. In Natural Resources Management, Melissa Jiménez, takes over the position of the Butterfly Garden and follows the steps for which this project was founded.

Today, in addition, you can see the laboratory, an open classroom and a nursery for forestry purposes and host plants. The butterfly garden remains a tool for environmental education, which allows many children in the area to be reached, to raise awareness about the conservation of ecosystems and a close experience of studying other living things.

To date we have received visits from 18 educational centers in Osa and the surrounding area, of which at least 640 students have had the experience of visiting the butterfly garden in the last 6 years. All this has been possible thanks to the team and the support of our founders and every volunteer who has contributed their time in the care of these butterflies and their plants.

Do not miss the opportunity to participate in the guided tours, there are only 12 places available.
For reservations please contact 27865200 or email rptojochal@gmail.com
There is no price for this visit, but a donation is welcome.

List in Amazon:

The talk started with the director of RPT, Oscar Brenes, and followed by the anthropologist and herpetologist Cesar Barrio-Amorós. The talk also counted with the collaboration of Overton Pratt.

The objective of the talk was to summon the neighbors, not only from Ojochal, but from the entire South Pacific area, to talk about these species, of which there is a lot of disinformation at the popular level and create awareness about them.

Therefore, the speakers explained how to identify certain species, how to know if they are venomous or not, what are the places in which they are commonly found, how to act when bitten, among other important and useful information.

After the talk, all attendees enjoyed a dinner that was possible thanks to all the contributions that each person brought, both to eat and drink.

After the break, at dusk, a walk was held with a group of visitors guided by Reserva Playa Tortuga staff. The night walk lasted approximately 1 hour and a half, and some of the species that could be observed were: common opossum, four eyed opossum, cat eye snake, tree Boa, caimans, different frogs, lizards, birds, bugs and spiders. Some of the species photographed are in the following gallery:

The coordinator of the Environmental Education & Outreach project, Melissa Jiménez-Kardentay, shares some thoughts about the last Summer Club, carried out between January 14th until the 31st.

After 3 weeks at full power with the guys from the camp we finished our Summer Club 2019 and we want to give an special thanks to the Food Bank, Cleveland High School Students in NC, Life Project Education, drivers for kids every day and the different donors for making it possible for these boys and girls have an experience of hand with Nature, alive, acting and choosing for nature and its conservation.
Grateful to the parents who entrust us one more year to establish environmental values in their sons and daughters.
See you the next year!

Why is this study important?

Mammals need a large amount of habitat for foraging and reproducing, Agoutis have a smaller habitat (2 km2) and ocelots a way larger habitat (50 km2), if not more. Despite the size,  all of these mammals are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and loss, such as logging, construction of roads and properties. But what is the effect of properties here in in Ojochal? What does it do with the size and abundance of the mammals.

In some of the forest, mammals are responsable for 66% of the seed disperse, playing a vital role in the seed dispersal of the rainforests. Also, by eating plants, the will create space for other plants. Or they will increase the biodiversity by eating the dominant plants, leaving space for the other less dominant species.

Camera locations:

Results:

• 13 different species
• 7 different mammals at the reserve
• 11 different mammals at the properties

• 343 mammals captured on camera
• Ridgeline is the only property with a higher abundance than the reserve
• Farmland has the lowest relative abundance
• The agouti has the highest abundance with 52,48%
• Primary forest has the highest biodiversity
• The maintained garden has the lowest biodiversity

On Bas’s words the study was too short to draw a significant conclusion, but there are some indications. For example:

• The primary forest on slope and the ridgeline have a higher biodiversity, compared to the reserve, probably because of the big primary forests near the property, and the low human disturbance
• The old cashew plantation has a low abundance and number of species. Some possible causes are: no food, disturbance, etc.
• The creek has a lower biodiversity,  and that might be because of high pet activity, gardeners or a position too close to the creek
• The maintained garden has a low biodiversity, which is the most logical result, since the garden has no forest, a high human and pet activity.
• The farmland has almost no mammals, probably for the presence of traveler and no suitable vegetation and human activity