Help Me Help Sea Turtles!

Hi there! I am currently a student in my 3rd year attending UC Riverside looking to volunteer abroad this summer. For years I have been wanting to do something for the environment and the animals that live in it. Something that would impact the environment in a positive way. Something that would help preserve the habitat/lives of the animals that are in danger. Well, this summer I decided to stop thinking about doing something and actually do it (2016 will be the year of doing for me!).

I applied for a volunteer position through International Student Volunteers (ISV) and got accepted. Through ISV, I plan on going to Costa Rica for 4 weeks to help monitor and sustain both wildlife and the environment. One project that is offered is a project dedicated to saving sea turtles from extinction. Just to give you an idea of how important this is - it is reported that in the last 100 years the Hawksbill Sea Turtle population has gone down about 80% because of poor nesting conditions in the environment, poaching, and the unpredictability of the ocean tides. In one of the pictures provided you can see a group of baby sea turtles walking upwards out of a divot in the sand. In the beaches of Costa Rica, some baby sea turtles get stuck in these divots. Because they are young and weak they struggle to make it out, causing many to die. While in Costa Rica, I (and many other volunteers) will be given the task to help teach these sea turtles how to make their way out of these ditches, which I feel is very important considering how often it occurs. Since it is also mating season, we will also build and maintain nests and monitor the population levels of the sea turtles. In addition to this, we will help keep their environment clean and habitable (all living things have a right to a clean home!).

Sadly, to go on this amazing adventure and help these beautiful endangered species, it costs money. So, if you are willing and able to fund my trip, that would be much appreciated. I truly do believe that this will be an extremely rewarding experience that will make a difference in the lives of Costa Rican sea turtles and, furthermore, will help sustain our ecosystem that is currently not doing so well.

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this and most importantly thank you for all the help!