About 40 students between 17 and 18 years old from the Galloway School in Atlanta, US, visited the Reserva Playa Tortuga during January of this year.

© Christian Seville

© Lauren Collins

Accompanied by their teachers Lynda Jenkins and Stephen Fleming-Cooper, the students had the opportunity to stay for several days in the facilities of the Reserve and participate in different activities such as talks, bird inventory, monitoring of mammals, installation of trails cameras on the forest, analysis of waste found on the beach and of all the data collected during monitoring, and even participed in turtle releasing.

One of the talks that took place in the RPT was that of Jack Ewig, proprietor of Hacienda Baru for more than 40 years, who explained the evolution of both the Hacienda Baru and the South Pacific area in general, and how the advances of current society, such as roads, have impacted on flora, fauna and ecotourism.

In a relaxed conversation, Jack Ewig shared with the students his personal experiences with several species such ocelots, sloths and tapirs; how they have been increasing and decreasing their population, and the personal significance they have for him.