By: Tom Mason

COTERC has definitely had an eventful summer. We have attended functions, developed plans for the station and had a major change in our staff. For this episode, I will concentrate on the last point. In May of this year, Jonathan Willans left the employment of COTERC as manager of the Caño Palma Biological Station and moved on to follow a career in sea turtle research and conservation. Jonathan had been with us for 2 years and will be missed. In August of this year, a new manager, Michael Dunn came through Toronto on his way to the station. He has already contacted us as to how much he loves the area and we know how much work he needs to catch up on. He brings a new perspective and much experience to the position. We hope his stay is pleasant and productive.

Jonathan Willans first arrived at the Station in March of 2007. He was quiet but observant and soon started showing us what could be done. He had just come from the fund raiser at Bill Jamieson’s studios and he was loaded with advice from the Board and a long “to do” list from Greg. He appeared completely overwhelmed with the job he was undertaking. I was lucky enough to be at the station with a group when Jonathan arrived. His first days were spent walking around, assessing problems and planning. Before I left he was already starting to work on his list.

He got the composting toilets built and running, fixed water problems and worked with GVI on turtle monitoring. Later he initiated and ran the large mammal monitoring program under COTERC Director Dr. Kym Snarr. Jonathan continued to work and in his stay much was repaired and even more work was completed. The latest accomplishments were the completion of the new showers and the new water relay system that has increased the water pressure to the wash area.

On top of maintaining the property, Jonathan had time to improve his Spanish, but his greatest achievement and love was his work with the sea turtles. During sea turtle season, Jonathan regularly walked the beach. Ten kilometers were walked every time he went out. This was on soft, loose sand that increases the effort required to cover the distance. If not walking with GVI people, he was covering the times that volunteers were not available. Sometimes he walked twice a day. He was dedicated to providing the best data for the programs underway at the Station.

After two years, Jonathan has taken on a position working on sea turtles in Nicaragua. We wish him all the best in his venture and future plans. He is certainly welcome back any time he wishes to visit the station. So now Michael has arrived. He also has a list to do. Michael comes to us with a lot of experience from around the world. He has his B.Sc. and has spent time in South Africa, Ecuador and recently returned from India.

Michael has traveled with GVI twice, so is well aware of their policies and protocols. When one is hosting 20 people for most the year, it is important to know what you are dealing with. Michael spent a few days in Toronto and region on his way from Grand Prairie, Alberta. It was great to hear that he is a reptile and amphibian enthusiast. He spent a long time in South Africa learning how to handle Black mambas and puff adders. It will be a good specialty for the Cano Palma area. His first job will be to repair the composting toilets that Jonathan set up. In two months, they have seized up, so Michael has one smelly job to start with.