Over the Summer the COTERC Board of Director and their families shared a wonderful afternoon together talking and catching up after a brief summer break.

Back Row: Malcolm 'Blue' Enright, Matt Vernhout
Middle Row: Dr. William Rapley, Jim Taylor, Dr. Kymberley Anne Snarr, Colette McKee, Barry McKee
Front Row: Tom Mason, Jonathan Willans, June Enright, Greg Mayne

Missing: Caroline Greenland, Joanna Romani, Catherine Braun Rodriguez, Rachel Atkins

Continued from Part 1...

On our first night at the station, after a solid briefing from Jon, we decked out our flashlights with red filter paper, put on our ninja clothes, and headed for the beach. We were headed for a hike up and down the beach searching for any signs of turtles that had hauled, or were hauling, themselves up onto the beach to lay their eggs. We would head out on these hikes for five out of the seven nights we stayed at Caño Palma. With my delicate feet torn and aching after these walks, I couldn’t help but be incredibly impressed by those volunteers and staff who hauled themselves up and down that beach day-in dayout.

On our third night, I was granted the opportunity to witness the shadowy, red figure of a massive leatherback, lit only by the stars and two team members’ headlamps.
Without doubt, I identify the most memorable moment as that when I watched the outline of a massive female pulling herself back down the beach after dropping off some precious cargo --- the next generation of a critically endangered species.

After spending this week prying information out of the station’s residents as often as possible, I discovered that this place was much more than a little hammock (and
Juancho-rich) piece of paradise. It was a place where not only the nights were aglow with herpetologists’ flashlights, but every morning at 5:00am there was a dedicated
avian nest surveyor out to gather data; ‘Socks’ (the happiest San Franciscan dog of all time) was following the morning Turtle surveyor; Jon and volunteers were trudging through waist-deep mud on a mammal monitoring walk, and a young Canadian in his early twenties was lucidly dreaming about Bothrops asper as a result of the chloroquine salts! This is a place where I will surely find myself again and for which I will speak considerable praise. I have worked and do work in the non-profit sector,
have met those who have, and have family members who plug away working from grant to grant, but at Caño Palma, I saw the labors of dedicated fundraisers and volunteers manifest in an effective, bare bones operation led by a dedicated biologist. It is a place where money is an issue, but also one where you feel like even in a short week, you’ve done something rewarding, supported the cause, seen something incredible, and met some fantastic people in the process.

Photo: a group of us taking a walk to the little remaining primary forest and the view. Photo courtesy of Alex Simpson

Originally published in Raphia Summer Edition 2008 - Alex Simpson

To preface, I spent the past five years of my life in and out of Guelph, Ontario, Canada -- a city known for its biologists, knitted-sweaters, green bins, and fair-trade cafes (Although, Peterborough could surely compete). This is a place where a conversation of about the failure of our governments, and ultimately ourselves, to protect the earth wasn’t more than a few yards away. Like most youth fresh out of college or university, I had intended on doing a bit of traveling, working for the cause, building some experience, and seeing the sights. Once I delved into the search, I found this was a little bit easier ‘said than done’. I did, however, finally run into COTERC and Caño Palma. This, as I recall, was the result of some independent research and a vague recollection of a former boss (Peter Klose, Jungle Cat World) speaking about a friend’s encounter with a Juvenile Fer-De-Lance (some might recall).

When I stumbled upon COTERC, I had been searching for a ‘little break’ from a winter of sitting at a desk and a chance to stretch my legs. No sooner had I got in touch with Jonathan Willans, Caño Palma Station Manager, then those same legs were riding on a public bus (full of giggling school kids) through the bumpy banana plantations. A few hours and basilisks later, we came out on to the Penetencia River. This is where the world opened up. This was the place where the massive palms and dense vegetation loomed over the shores and a buzz of excitement tied up my stomach. This was a buzz that didn’t quite leave until I left the station.

(continued tomorrow)

Jonathan Willans, Manager, Caño Palma Biological Station

It has been a busy few months here at the station and it is not looking like it is going to be slowing down soon. After a very busy Leatherback Turtle season that saw over 90 nests on our 3 mile stretch of beach, we are getting ready for the onset of the Green Turtle season. It has been rather quiet to date but we are seeing more nests on the beach with each passing week. Currently an average night seem to be producing 2 or 3 nests per night, with some nights having 6 or 7.

We are getting ready for the height of the season when there may be 60 or so nests in a single night. It is nights like these, where you can be out on the beach at night for 8 hours and see 10 turtles, which makes you realize why it is hard for people to think that these creatures are actually endangered. The entire beach can be covered in tracks and the craters left behind where a turtle has nested, but still these turtles are at risk. You can still hear it said by many people in the area when the topic comes up. “There are plenty of turtles. They come here every year. They are not endangered”. This is one reason that the poaching that we are trying to reduce is still a problem.

The past two weeks here have been a sad reminder that poaching is still an issue on our beach. Green turtle eggs are generally preferred to Leatherback eggs and their nests are much easier to poach than that of the Leatherback due to the shallowness of the nest and the large, conspicuous hole on the beach left by a Green. This means that there are more people looking for eggs and more poaching. This has been reflected in a higher than usual poaching rate.

As well as turtle eggs being poached, in the past few weeks there have been 4 known turtles that have been taken off the beach and killed. This includes a critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle, a treasure for poachers due to the value of its carapace, which is used to make jewelry, amongst other things. With no police or guards from Minae, (the ministry of the environment), there is no enforcement of the existing laws that are in place to protect the turtles. So what can be done to help stop this troubling trend? One answer is being as much of a presence as possible on the beach at night, getting to the turtles before the poachers do and making sure that they can get back to sea safely. This requires manpower and volunteers. This job can not be done by one or two people alone. We need many people who care and are passionate about these creatures to help patrol the beach and be a deterrent. Without volunteers, the project is not possible. In September we will need people to come to the station and walk the beach. This time of year is generally the peak of the season and when we are most in need of people to help.

I invite you all to come down here to Caño Palma and help make a difference. To see a turtle emerge timidly from the sea, carefully crawl up the beach dragging its seldom felt weight on the sand below, sculpt an egg chamber with precision, deposit 100 or so golf ball sized eggs into it, then cover its precious content for almost an hour and finally drag her exhausted body back to the sea is something that I wish we could all witness. It is nature at its purest.

I hope that this summer is a fantastic one for everyone and I hope to see you here at Caño Palma in September.

Hasta Pronto,
Jonathan

On October 25th, 2008, we will be holding our fall fundraiser, COTERC Fiesta Verde: Project Frog. This event will bring together 120-150 of COTERC’s valued members, family, friends and members of the community who share in our concerns and goals. There will be a silent and live auction, dinner, and educational presentations.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to donate items for the silent and live auction. These auction items are a large contributor to the success at this event. Likewise, any monetary donations that would aid in the funding of the evening’s events would also be greatly appreciated. With your support, COTERC will be able to continue providing leadership in education, research and conservation and the educated use of natural resources in the tropics.

By donating auction or monetary items, you would help to save the world’s rainforests and benefit from:*

• Your name appearing in Raphia
• Your name listed among contributors on our official website
• Exposure to all those who attend the event, which strengthens your reputation among key players in the environmental community
• A charitable tax donation receipt

For those who would like to become a sponsor with a monetary donation of $1,000 or more, we will also place your logo/name on the event’s publicity materials and program, mention your organization as a sponsoring partner in all communications, and provide two tickets to the event.*

Contributions can be forwarded to our head office. Alternatively, you can call us directly to arrange pick-up.

We thank you in advance for your participation and support!

*Any items received on or after October 11 may not be recognized in printed materials but will be acknowledged in Raphia. We reserve the right to save items for the next year’s auction depending upon the breadth and variety of items received. For sponsorships, please inquire as to publication dates to ensure inclusion in marketing materials.

WHAT IS ecoImage?

For those of you who have received this newsletter from a friend (or for those that just need a refresher), ecoImage provides images and ringtones of species from ecological hotspots around the world. 50% of our sales go to our Non-Profit Partners working to preserve and protect ecosystems at risk.

Here is what they had to say about COTERC:

COTERC Partnership

We are very pleased to announce that the Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation has joined our list of Non-Profit Partners who provide content from the field in return for funding for their conservation work. I have been very impressed with COTERC's commitment to research and preservation in the diverse ecosystems of Costa Rica. They bring an impressive catalogue of high quality images of the flora and fauna surrounding their research station in Caño Palma, Costa Rica. This partnership highlights the role that Canadian organizations are playing in conserving our natural environment around the globe.

Learn more about COTERC at http://www.coterc.org/introduction.html Check out COTERC images at http://www.ecoimage.ca

Subscribe to the EcoImage Newsletter for monthly updates just like this.

Media Release (June 25, 2008) The Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and Rainforest Conservation (COTERC) recently received $30,000 from the Donner Canadian Foundation to support critical efforts to study and protect endangered marine turtles at an important nesting beach on the northern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Based in Pickering, Ontario, COTERC has been advancing conservation efforts since its founding in 1991 as a registered Canadian charity and the creation of the Caño Palma Biological Station in the lowland rainforest of Costa Rica. When station biologists began studying nesting marine turtle abundance on this unprotected and poorly understood beach, they found turtles in greater numbers than expected. Unfortunately, biologists and volunteers also recorded turtle mortality and high rates of poaching coincident with rapid coastal development.

Of the seven species of marine turtles found in the world, the leatherback, green, hawksbill and loggerhead come ashore to nest on this beach. Virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaur, the leatherback is the largest living reptile in the world. Leatherbacks nesting at this beach migrate throughout the Atlantic Ocean; spending much of their time in Canadian waters before returning to nest years later. Familiar to some Canadians, from postage stamps illustrating leatherback turtles as species at risk under Canada's new Species at Risk Act, it is also listed as critically endangered globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Critical conservation concerns on this nesting beach are related to human development and poaching of adult females and their freshly laid eggs. After years of spending time maturing in the Atlantic, many turtles come ashore to nest, only to meet their demise at the hands of poachers. Fisheries by catch by coastal fisheries plus international long line fisheries have been identified as sources of turtle mortality.

With the generous donation from the Donner Canadian Foundation, COTERC will study these majestic creatures in greater detail through coordinated beach monitoring, turtle tagging, community-based conservation outreach and education projects, partnership building and information sharing with the conservation community.

Excitement is in the air at Caño Palma Biological Station. COTERC partners and the many international volunteers who have worked so hard on the Marine Turtle and Community Conservation Program over the years have reason to celebrate.

The donation comes on the heels of a $2000 grant from Turtle Beach Lodge, a local business that recognizes the intrinsic natural heritage value of marine turtles. “Our relationship with local lodges is positive”, reports station manager, Jonathan Willans. He goes on to say that, “It also demonstrates how businesses can support critical conservation efforts.”

COTERC’s years of work have greatly improved our understanding of the tropical rainforest biodiversity, and with continued support from sponsors, COTERC’s staff, volunteers and partners are confident that turtle poaching will continue to decrease on this beach.

It is the mission of COTERC to provide leadership in education, research, conservation, and the educated use of natural resources in the tropics. For more information on COTERC and its conservation efforts and volunteer programs contact June Enright, at info@coterc.org, or visit our website (http://www.coterc.org).

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on the 21st at the Mississauga Reptile and Exotic Pet Expo.

EXPO NEWS

Well here we grow again… Yes the Reptile Expo is has outgrown our past home… So we are moving digs with the anticipation that we will be inviting our close family members the world of aquatics to our regular events… Yes this is now the Ontario Reptile and Aquatics Expo... A first for Canada…. Exclusive to Mississauga now visitors can enjoy the displays of reptiles and fish all under one roof… (more)

See the Vendor list

Ontario Reptile and Exotic Pet Expo
www.reptileexpo.ca
Mississauga
September 21
6435 Dixie Road

Please mark the following dates on your calendars:

Event: Euchre tournament
Date: Saturday October 4th
Location: Toronto Zoo Atrium

Event: Fiesta Verde - Project Frog
Date: Saturday, October 25th
Location: Toronto Zoo Atrium

Both will be a great night out and while having fun you know you'll be helping us move ahead with the many projects we have underway. Stay tuned for more details on each of these events. Make a difference... Join in and have some fun!

Image thanks to Coding4fun