Any discomfort from the scorching midday sun was pushed to the back of my mind thanks to the breathtaking beauty of the tropical islands that drifted by as we sliced through the vibrantly blue Caribbean waters off the coast of the province of Bocas del Toro, Panama. During the 3-hour boat ride from Isla Colon to the small indigenous town of Rio Cañas, all I could think of was what may lie beneath the glassy water’s surface: corals, colorful tropical fish, sea turtles?
From March 16-19, four Peace Corps Panama Volunteers and their three community counterparts had the opportunity to accompany Cristina Ordonez from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) to Rio Cañas, where she led a hands-on sea turtle conservation seminar. The attendees arrived from various sites on the Pacific coast of Panama, ranging from Isla Cañas in Los Santos, to Puerto Pedregal in Chiriquì. The purpose of the seminar was to train the volunteers and their counterparts in appropriate conservation techniques regarding sea turtle conservation projects. All of the attendees work directly with sea turtle conservation projects in their communities. Upon return to their communities, the volunteers and their counterparts will train other community members involved in sea turtle conservation efforts.
Ordonez, in cooperation with the CCC based out of Gainesville, Florida, has been working in the Ngöbe-Bugle town of Rio Cañas for the past 9 years. There, she conducts night patrols of the 24-km beach in order to analyze the genetics, nesting, and migratory patterns of the three species of sea turtles that nest on the Caribbean coast of Panama: the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Green turtle (Chelonya midas), and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), all of which are in danger of extinction. Over the past 9 years, through educational programs, she has transformed the community into a group of conservationists with a passion for saving the species that frequent the beaches. There are now many community members who help patrol the large beach and collect scientific data that contribute to the conservation project. This is an ideal example of community-based conservation, one that the Peace Corps Volunteers hope to follow in order to set up similar sustainable conservation programs in their communities around the country.
In addition to educating the community members of Rio Cañas about sea turtle conservation, Ordonez and the CCC offer seminars for university students and other volunteers interested in conserving the species. During the 3-day seminar in March, the Peace Corps Volunteers and counterparts received lectures about sea turtle biology, conservation, education techniques, and ecotourism projects. In addition, the attendees were invited on the nightly beach patrols, where important data such as measurements of the animals, number of eggs, and location of nests, are noted for future analysis. March is the first of five months of nesting for the Leatherback sea turtle, the largest of the eight species of sea turtles in the world, on the Caribbean coast of Panama. During two nights of patrols, the attendees took data on eight adult female Leatherbacks who were in the process of laying their eggs on the beach. In the morning, an inventory of the total number of nests was taken. During this time period, about 15 Leatherback sea turtles were arriving to the beach every night to lay their eggs, the largest measuring over five feet long.
The sight of the large, primordial creatures placing their glossy, golf-ball size offerings into the dangerous world was incredible. The mothers breathed heavily, making sounds that one would have expected to hear millions of years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs, an era that the sea turtles have survived. Since only one of 1,000 of the eggs placed into the sand will survive to adulthood, urgent efforts must take place to save the species that are being outrun by their primary predator: the human being. Illegal poaching of the sea turtles and their eggs still takes place, especially in developing countries such as Panama. Increased land and water contamination created by increased population size and economic development also contribute to the decline of the species. Conservation efforts such as those of Ordonez and the Peace Corps Volunteers are crucial in preserving the ecosystems of our world’s oceans.
From March 16-19, four Peace Corps Panama Volunteers and their three community counterparts had the opportunity to accompany Cristina Ordonez from the Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) to Rio Cañas, where she led a hands-on sea turtle conservation seminar. The attendees arrived from various sites on the Pacific coast of Panama, ranging from Isla Cañas in Los Santos, to Puerto Pedregal in Chiriquì. The purpose of the seminar was to train the volunteers and their counterparts in appropriate conservation techniques regarding sea turtle conservation projects. All of the attendees work directly with sea turtle conservation projects in their communities. Upon return to their communities, the volunteers and their counterparts will train other community members involved in sea turtle conservation efforts.
Ordonez, in cooperation with the CCC based out of Gainesville, Florida, has been working in the Ngöbe-Bugle town of Rio Cañas for the past 9 years. There, she conducts night patrols of the 24-km beach in order to analyze the genetics, nesting, and migratory patterns of the three species of sea turtles that nest on the Caribbean coast of Panama: the Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Green turtle (Chelonya midas), and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), all of which are in danger of extinction. Over the past 9 years, through educational programs, she has transformed the community into a group of conservationists with a passion for saving the species that frequent the beaches. There are now many community members who help patrol the large beach and collect scientific data that contribute to the conservation project. This is an ideal example of community-based conservation, one that the Peace Corps Volunteers hope to follow in order to set up similar sustainable conservation programs in their communities around the country.
In addition to educating the community members of Rio Cañas about sea turtle conservation, Ordonez and the CCC offer seminars for university students and other volunteers interested in conserving the species. During the 3-day seminar in March, the Peace Corps Volunteers and counterparts received lectures about sea turtle biology, conservation, education techniques, and ecotourism projects. In addition, the attendees were invited on the nightly beach patrols, where important data such as measurements of the animals, number of eggs, and location of nests, are noted for future analysis. March is the first of five months of nesting for the Leatherback sea turtle, the largest of the eight species of sea turtles in the world, on the Caribbean coast of Panama. During two nights of patrols, the attendees took data on eight adult female Leatherbacks who were in the process of laying their eggs on the beach. In the morning, an inventory of the total number of nests was taken. During this time period, about 15 Leatherback sea turtles were arriving to the beach every night to lay their eggs, the largest measuring over five feet long.
The sight of the large, primordial creatures placing their glossy, golf-ball size offerings into the dangerous world was incredible. The mothers breathed heavily, making sounds that one would have expected to hear millions of years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs, an era that the sea turtles have survived. Since only one of 1,000 of the eggs placed into the sand will survive to adulthood, urgent efforts must take place to save the species that are being outrun by their primary predator: the human being. Illegal poaching of the sea turtles and their eggs still takes place, especially in developing countries such as Panama. Increased land and water contamination created by increased population size and economic development also contribute to the decline of the species. Conservation efforts such as those of Ordonez and the Peace Corps Volunteers are crucial in preserving the ecosystems of our world’s oceans.
