Further Information
Volunteer Work with Leatherback Turtles in Panama

Volunteers will rotate between various field sites. Transport to Isla Bastimentos and Playa Changuinola will be by boat from Bocas del Toro. Volunteers will remain at remote sites for one or more week periods. Field data will be recorded on data sheets and field notebooks and then transferred to a computer database.

Community Conservation Education:

An integral part of the program is the involvement of the local community. Without local involvement, our ability to effect conservation in the area is greatly reduced. This is because it is primarily the local population that over-exploits the natural resources of the area, such as the logging of trees for lumber, pasture or crop conversion, or in the taking of fish, lobster, crab or sea turtles. Although marine turtles, their eggs and products (oils, tortoiseshell jewelery) are strictly protected by Panamanian law, there is essentially no enforcement, even within the national parks and preserves. This is due to a number of reasons, including corruption and lack of funds, but also because eating sea turtle is part of the local culture. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to accept the responsibility to teach conservation ethics, and to provide employment opportunities to the local community that have minimal environmental impact.

In particular, awareness of the dangers of marine turtle (particularly hawksbill) population depletion can be accomplished at the local level through community conservation education. Hawksbill and other marine turtles represent integral components of coral reefs and sea grass beds and should be conserved to maintain the health of these ecosystems. You will see vendors of tortoiseshell jewelery in blatant violation of Panamanian law. Marine turtles can also represent an important source of tourist revenue for communities adjacent to nesting beaches and feeding grounds. In Tortugero, Costa Rica, for example, more than 50,000 tourists visit this community of 300 inhabitants every year, primarily to see nesting marine turtles. Ecotourism is by far the greatest source of income for the village of Tortugero and could be a major asset to Bocas as well.