Lisa Maas '07
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Stationed in steamy, canal-strewn Tortuguero, Costa Rica, I spent five weeks on a Coastal Rainforest and Wildlife Expedition with Global Vision International (GVI). Tortuguero is the largest nesting site for green sea turtles in the world, and our primary research project was monitoring sea-turtle nesting and egg poaching on an allegedly protected stretch of beach. We walked 3.5 miles of beach daily counting turtle tracks, nests and poached nests. We also took night walks to observe nesting turtles and the number of illegal persons and potential poachers on the beach. The objective of the study is to empirically show that egg poaching is seriously jeopardizing the effectiveness of sea-turtle conservation. The data will be used to write a grant to obtain funds to hire a beach patroller. Preliminary results record poaching rates at about 65 percent. We also conducted bird-area surveys and point counts in a variety of habitats including rainforest, canal, beach and cleared areas. The aim is to create a database of bird species and populations in the area and across different ecosystems.


Pictures Coming Soon!
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA 17013