COSTA RICA...LOCATION Despite its small size, Costa Rica is one of the most geographically and ecologically diverse countries in the world, boasting 4.5% of the world’s biodiversity

COSTA RICA SEA TURTLE E C O L O G Y

LOCATIONDespite its small size, Costa Rica is one of the most geographically and ecologically diverse countries in the world, boasting 4.5% of the world’s biodiversity. EPI’s primary field site is a research station located on one of the world’s most important nesting beaches for leatherback sea turtles. Pacuare Nature Reserve is a 2000-acre tropical reserve dedicated to conservation ecology, research, and education. Surrounded by canals, accessible only by boat, the reserve’s rainforest is rich with wildlife. More than 300 species, including jaguars, ocelots, and howler monkeys call it home. With EPI, so can you.

ACADEMIC CONTENTDuring EPI’s Costa Rica course, students complete 30 hours of coursework and 18 hours of field research in the following subjects:

• Sea turtle nesting and biology • Ecology of coastal ecosystems • Field research investigation• Rainforest ecology • Biodiversity studies• Primate and feline biology• Costa Rican culture

EXCHANGE DAYWhen schedules allow, EPI brings together students from Costa Rica and the U.S. for a day of sharing and dialogue at a local high school. This visit usually takes place at a local school near the field station and may include a cultural exchange (dancing, sports, music, etc.), a lunch of local cuisine, and time to hang out and make new friends from a different country. These local students also participate in EPI programs and can share their own research and course experiences.

COSTA RICA • PROGRAM OVERVIEW

www.ecologyproject.org

COSTA RICA • RESEARCH

LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE MONITORINGResearch Partner: Pacuare Reserve-Ecology Project International

Leatherback sea turtles are a vulnerable species with the lowest hatching success of all sea turtle species. Their main threats are climate change, poaching, and fisheries. EPI students will help Pacuare Reserve biologists search the beach, locating turtles, collecting biometric data, and monitoring nest placement. Depending on the time of the season, students might also work with leatherback hatchlings or green and hawksbill adult turtles.

Data collection techniques:

EPI students will walk the beach at night looking for adult turtles that have come ashore to lay eggs. During beach censuses, when a turtle is found, students will collect measurements of the carapace, check the tags, look for injuries, and record the beach sector where it was found. Lastly, they will make sure that the eggs are in a safe place. If the eggs are in a dangerous location for their survival, students will help find and dig a new nest. During the hatching season, students will participate in nest excavation. If hatchlings are found, students will release them and ensure they safely make their way to the water.

Highlights:

• EPI participants will walk the beach at night to help Pacuare Reserve biologists collect data on sea turtles.• Students will collect data on turtle biometrics including length, width, tag number, injuries, and location of the nest. • If needed, students will assist in relocating nests.• This study allows Pacuare Reserve to track and understand the leatherback population.• Our presence on the beach helps protect the nests that were laid on the beach the previous nights.

Expected student contribution: 3 nights of sea turtle monitoring (approximately 4 hours and 4 miles per night)

More information available here: www.pacuarereserve.org

PACUARE RESERVEECOLOGY PROJECT INTERNATIONAL

FIELD RESEARCH PROJECTSWe invest deeply in the communities where we work. Our in-country field offices, located at each of our program sites, allow us to form partnerships with researchers, national parks, and local communities. For us, local connections are central to our mission of strengthening conservation efforts around the world. For you, it means a deeper, richer course experience.

Every EPI program provides hands-on field experience. While each of our sites has a unique focus and theme, they share a common DNA: meaningful field science and thoughtful engagement in local issues.

In Costa Rica, EPI students directly and positively impact the survival of leatherback sea turtles through monitoring, data collection, and beach protection. This is a unique opportunity, and your help is needed by both the biologists and the nesting turtles.


COSTA RICA • ADDITIONAL RESEARCH


LEPIDOPTERAN RESEARCHResearch Partner: Veragua Rainforest

Diurnal butterflies are often used as bioindicators since their presence or absence givesus information about other species, biodiversity and their own conservation status. Thebutterfly research at Veragua Rainforest focuses on the annual activity of butterfly species inthe canopy and understory of a secondary forest. Butterfly activity, diversity, and abundanceare compared against different environmental variables.

Data collection techniques:

After a visit to the butterfly garden and exhibit with a butterfly specialist, EPI students will help prepare bait andpractice how to safely handle butterflies. Once in the study site, students will walk along a transect checking traps andcollecting butterflies. Students will work in small groups to check 10 butterfly stations along the transect. Each stationhas two traps: one in the canopy and one in the understory. Students will collect the butterfly, label the sample, replacethe bait, and fix the trap if needed. At night, students will also observe a light trap for moths.

Highlights:

• Students will set butterflies traps, make butterfly bait, handle butterflies and learn more about the importance of this research.

• By collecting data on butterflies, EPI students will help Veragua Rainforest scientists study butterfly diversity and its importance as a bioindicator.

Expected student contribution: Half day (approximately 5 hours)

More information available here: www.veraguarainforest.com

Depending on researcher schedules and the course itinerary, EPI students might participate in the following research project:

EPI CAMPUSThe Center for Education in Conservation and Science (CECC) is the Costa Rica program’s office and hosting facility. Located near the airport in San Rafael, Heredia, it’s surrounded by the mountains of the Central Valley and is an ideal starting point for your course.

Room type Running water Hot water Electricity

dormitory

PACUARE RESERVEWith 6 km of beach and 1050 hectares of rainforest, Pacuare is an amazing place to explore forest trails and fully engage in the turtle census on the beach while working together with biologists, field assistants, and instructors. Pacuare has two stations, both with cozy cabins and shared bathrooms.


cabin or dormitory

BELLA VISTA RANCHBella Vista Ranch is located in mountainous Turrialba, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the area, surrounded by volcanoes, coffee, and sugar cane plantations.


dormitory

TIRIMBINA BIOLOGICAL STATIONTirimbina is an educational, scientific, and ecotourism destination, situated in the forested northern region of Costa Rica. You’ll explore the trails, discover its flora and fauna, walk on suspension bridges, and uncover some of the rainforest’s secrets.


dormitory

VERAGUA RAINFORESTLocated in the forests of the Atlantic Province, this field research station and ecotourism lodge offers spacious and comfortable accommodation. .


dormitory

COSTA RICA • LODGING

While on course, EPI students will stay in rustic, but comfortable accommodations. Rooms are separated by gender, and students typically stay 3 to 4 to a room. Note: groups will stay at some, but not all, of the lodging options listed below.


Risk management and student safety always come first on an EPI course. EPI operates all programs to minimize the risk of injury or illness. Our goal is to provide a physically and emotionally safe environment on course. Risk management is addressed at every level in our organization from participant preparation, instructor selection and training, program design, and administration.

PROGRAM DESIGN• Program activities are selected with careful consideration of risk. • EPI hires professional outfitters to guide us during certain higher-risk

activities. We contract outfitters with excellent safety records.• Third party vendors (transportation, lodging, food services, etc.) are

reviewed to ensure quality of service and appropriate attention to safety.

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT• Medical protocols, first aid kits, and emergency action plans are

developed in consultation with a U.S. based physician, a wilderness medical advisor, and our local partners. These processes are evaluated and revised every year.

• We have an established Emergency Response System which is reviewed and updated annually.

• Instructors carry a communication device in the field, and each program location operates a 24-hour contact phone while participants are in the field.

• An additional 24-hour contact phone is operated by our U.S. headquarters staff throughout our operating season.

• EPI has a Child Protection Policy that is built from internally recognized standards based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

INSTRUCTORS• At a minimum, all instructors are trained and certified in Wilderness first

aid and CPR.• All courses have at least one instructor with a higher level of training,

either Wilderness Advanced First Aid or Wilderness First Responder.• Instructors are trained in risk management on-site, with program-

specific training prior to each season.• Each instructor’s performance is reviewed after each course and at the

end of each season.• All staff and adults in a leadership role with groups must pass a

background check.

PARTICIPANTS• All participants are required to provide a detailed medical form signed

by a licensed medical professional which is then reviewed by EPI’s medical review team.

• Participants are provided with a risk management briefing before activities.

COSTA RICA • RISK MANAGEMENT

PH

OT

O B

Y SIEM

INSK

I PH

OT

OG

RA

PH

Y


KNOWLEDGE

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the environment and the circumstances and conditions affecting it, particularly in relation to biodiversity and ecosystems

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of society’s impact on the natural world (population growth, population development, resource consumption rate, etc.)

DISPOSITIONS Demonstrate the interest, sensitivity, responsibility, and intention to act for the sustainable use of natural resources

COMPETENCIES Demonstrate the skills and abilities to investigate and analyze environmental issues and make accurate conclusions about effective solutions

BEHAVIOR Take individual and collective action towards addressing environmental challenges (participating in global actions, designing solutions that inspire action on environmental issues, etc.)

INCREASING ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACYIn order for our participants to become stewards of conservation, they need to understand and value nature, have the necessary and relevant skills to take appropriate actions, and have the right dispositions to guide their behavior. In other words, they need to be environmentally literate.

While there are many definitions of environmental literacy, EPI draws upon the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) original concept and the North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) revision to define

an environmentally literate person as someone who demonstrates the knowledge, dispositions, competencies, and behavior to actively

engage, individually or as a group, in addressing environmental challenges. The EPI curriculum is built around addressing these four

components to increase environmental literacy in youth:

EPI’S FOUNDATIONTo build our educational framework, we researched best practices, lessons learned, and the latest developments in environmental and science education. Our framework integrates and builds upon components from:

• UNESCO Belgrade Declaration on Environmental Education (1978) • Framework for Assessing Environmental Literacy from the North American Association of Environmental Education (2011) • Framework for K-12 Science Education from the National Resource Council (2012) • Framework for 21st Century Learning from the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2012) • North American Conservation Strategy from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Services (2011)

WHAT MAKES EPI UNIQUEWhile there are many initiatives that contribute to gains in knowledge and shifts in dispositions towards conservation, there are very few that contribute significantly to these attributes and also to the development, application, and transfer of competencies. This approach is exactly what sets EPI apart. Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on competencies related to scientific inquiry as a process to increase critical thinking and creativity in our participants.

COSTA RICA • ACADEMICS

www.ecologyproject.orgwww.ecologyproject.orgwww.ecologyproject.org

Documents

COSTA RICA...LOCATION Despite its small size, Costa Rica is one of the most geographically and ecologically diverse countries in the world, boasting 4.5% of the world’s biodiversity