LAST (Latin American Sea Turtles) Association is a Costa Rican group working to make a change in sea turtle conservation. This organization is working towards sustainable development and a future where local communities can thrive and coexist with healthy populations of sea turtles. They aim to sustainably manage and preserve the sea turtle’s natural habitats.
LAST’s field teams are integrated by local assistants with unparalleled experience in sea turtle research and conservation, people with vast experience working with volunteers and environmental enthusiasts developing creative strategies to avoid the extinction of these species.
Sea turtles are important creatures of marine ecosystems and the multiple anthropic threats and the permanent impact of these activities over sea turtles keep them in a critically endangered condition.
How important is volunteering?
Volunteer help is crucial for the future of the oceans and sea turtles. They are the backbone of the organization and we rely on them for many of the most important tasks. Without volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to make the difference to many baby turtles, nesting turtle mothers, and to incredible and productive tropical coastal ecosystems.
Also, their contribution supports the economy of the local communities we are working with. The results are better living conditions for local people and turtles alike.
Volunteers can choose between working in the village of Playa Blanca located in the Osa Peninsula, or in the Pacuare Beach. There are many tasks they can help with, such as caring for the hatchlings until their release in the sea or walking the beach at all times searching for nests before the poachers get them.
If you want help and learn more about sea turtles, you can also make an internship with us and become a research assistant, working next to qualified scientists and looking for new ways to understand and protect these endangered species.
What makes you the proudest about your organization?
Balancing scientific research with conservation efforts – always considering the socio-economic necessities of rural communities. It is not an easy task!
We’re releasing on average 4,000 hatchlings of leatherback turtles, 4,000 of Hawksbill turtles, and 6,000 green turtles each year. We’re also reducing female mortality and relocating several nesting areas, so we can save them from being poached. We are currently saving around 1000 nests each year.
The main challenge in our work is to educate the local population and prevent them from consuming turtle eggs, which you can buy for just $1 each. Poachers tend to look for eggs due to economic necessity, and we are working constantly to provide alternatives to prevent them from continuing to threaten these marvelous species.
Contact LAST
Learn more about the position by contacting Nicky Wheeler at volunteers@latinamericanseaturtles.com
Or you can also visit their website here.
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