OSTIONAL NATIONAL WILDLIFE RESERVE: ASSISTING WITH THE ARRIBADAS OF THE OLIVE RIDLEY SEA TURTLES
Ostional National Wildlife Refuge is located 7 kilometers north of Playa Guiones, and was formed to protect a major nesting beach of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles, along with its surrounding waters. Several times a year, female turtles clamber ashore in such numbers that the sandy beach begins to resemble a stretch of rocky coastline. These mass nesting episodes are locally referred to as arribadas, or arrivals.
The Harmony Hotel’s Project “Arribadas of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle” is a nonprofit initiative to help the MINAE (Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy) promote environmental conservation and keep the Ostional Natural Wildlife Reserve clean. Building on the government’s recent efforts to improve the sea turtles’ habitat (which includes a successful policy to curtail the widespread poaching of turtle eggs, which are prized in the region for their aphrodisiac qualities,) the project is guided by the belief that education is a requisite for change.
Among the initiative’s activities are: promoting plastic recycling by placing bins in the surrounding area; transferring the waste to the plastic recycling center (the income this generates is allocated to the local school); fostering the creation of more plastic recycling centers; sending staff volunteers to participate in beach clearing days; and disseminating information on Ostional Reserve policies to Ositional residents.
Guests can participate in this program in a number of ways, including volunteering with the Tortuguitas Program to oversee baby turtles as they hatch and protect them from predators as they make their way to the ocean; participating in the regular beach cleaning days that take place in the reserve and its vicinity; or making a donation to the Ostional Wildlife Reserve while at The Harmony Hotel. To learn more, please contact the reception, or us here.
Learn about other interesting Turtle Programs at www.greatturtlerace.com
The Harmony Hotel’s Community and Sustainability Projects promote the development of the community without compromising the environment.
OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS
