📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Four of the eight sea turtle species in Mexico (all of which are endangered) come to nest on the coasts of Chiapas. The beaches where the work camps take place are some of the 144 beaches in Mexico where the sea turtles come to nest, and they are also within the 22 beaches in Mexico where there is a high level of turtle nest looting. In an effort to rescue them, the sea turtle eggs as well as the recently born sea turtles, the sea turtle sanctuaries collect the eggs and rebury them in protected areas in order to keep them safe. Once they hatch, the sea turtles are recorded and set free under the projection of the sanctuary staff. The sanctuaries are open to the public and provide information about the sea turtles and the work that the conservation provides. The Secretary of Environment and Natural History of Chiapas supports this project and actively looks for involvement on part of the local community, students, scientists and volunteers. The objective of this project is to continue to protect the sea turtles by collaborating with international volunteers and being part of the global movement that tries to promote the understanding and conservation as well as the wellbeing and biodiversity of our oceans.
💼 What the programme involves
The volunteers will work directly with the sanctuary staff, other local volunteers and biologists that patrol the beach. Between the months of June to December, the majority of the work is done at night, and the volunteers must adapt to this work schedule. The activities consist of rescuing the sea turtles that come to nest on the beach by: patrolling the beaches looking for nests or nesting sea turtles, digging up and collecting the eggs to re-bury them in the protected areas of the sanctuary, and helping to care for and set free the recently born sea turtles. The volunteers will also take care of a clean the spaces where sea turtles found on the beaches receive medical attention. Moreover, they will help collect statistical data about nest and egg counts, and feed sea turtles. Other work will be related to the maintenance and improvement of the sanctuary site, giving talks about the environment and how to care for the sea turtles to tourists and residents in the area.
🏠 Accommodation on site
The volunteers will stay in tents on the beaches within the sea turtle sanctuary. It is necessary that each volunteer have a sleeping bag or sleeping mat like a yoga mat, as well as a mosquito net. The tents will be shared and provided by Nataté, however, for your comfort, it is recommended that each volunteer have his/her own tent. The center has basic services like bathrooms, showers (without hot water) and a kitchen. The work camps include three, standard quantity meals per day (approximately 300 grams per portion); additional quantities of food should be paid for by the volunteer. Any special dietary needs should be informed before the beginning of the work camp.
⚠️ Requirements
Volunteers interested in participating in this work camp must: be at least 18 years old; be very motivated to participate in the activities that the center develops to preserve the sea turtle species; be willing to work day and night under weather conditions that occasionally can be extreme for some volunteers; be able to tolerate mosquitos, ants and other insects that can be found while fulfilling the work camp activities; and most importantly, be creative to propose leisure activities during the non-working hours during the day.
ℹ️ Additional information
In this work camp the official language is English, however, having a basic level of Spanish is ideal. We encourage volunteers who require intensive language classes to improve their Spanish, or any other international or indigenous Maya language, to matriculate in the language and culture institute La Casa en el Árbol. For more information, please visit: www.lacasaenelarbol.org