Since 1998, the Romelia Wildlife Reserve protects the diverse flora and fauna of the area, covering around 224 hectares. The program focuses on protecting coastal and marine ecosystems, particularly the nesting areas of sea turtles, during their prime nesting season of July to December. As a volunteer, you will gain the opportunity to join a dedicated team of conservationists and experience a remote jungle ecosystem teeming with wildlife. Your volunteer work tasks may include:
- Sea Turtle Nesting and Hatching Monitoring: Patrol the beaches in the early morning and evening with an experienced squad leader and search for nesting females along the 6 km-long beaches. Activities during patrols include making carapace (shell) and nest measurements, collecting and tagging eggs, and moving them to the hatchery. During hatching seasons, you will help monitor the nests in the hatchery every 10 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes at night. This includes the counting and releasing of hatchlings at suitable beach locations. These combined efforts help reduce nest density and curb illegal egg harvesting.
- Beach Clean-ups: Take part in organized clean-up activities to remove litter and debris from the beach. Contribute to the preservation of marine ecosystems and protecting wildlife.
- Facility Maintenance: Assist in the maintenance of facilities used for sea turtle conservation. This may involve cleaning tanks, repairing enclosures, and ensuring a safe and functional environment for the turtles.
- Environmental Education Support: Support the environmental education program by assisting with presentations, workshops, and educational activities. Help raise awareness about the importance of conservation and sustainable practices.
- Trail Maintenance: Contribute to the maintenance of trails within the refuge. Clear vegetation, repair pathways, and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for visitors.
- Help with Research Activities: Work alongside local research assistants to support ongoing research projects related to sea turtles and their habitats. Assist with data collection, entry, and analysis.
Important Note: Please note that the activities may vary each week, and the local team requires volunteers to be flexible and adapt to the needs of the project. The longer you stay volunteering with the program, the more involved and diverse your activities become.
Arrival Day: Upon arrival, volunteers will register, receive their keys, meet staff, tour the station, and get a brief about the project over dinner.
Example of the Daily Schedule (subject to change):
08:00: Breakfast (Coffee, fruits, breads)
10:00: Morning work (1-2 hours): station maintenance, beach clean-ups, data entry, varying with weather
12:00: Vegetarian lunch (rice, beans, picadillo, soups, and guisos)
15:30: Afternoon work (1-2 hours): similar tasks as in the morning
18:00: Self-serve dinner time with cookies, pancakes, and coffee
19:00: Nightly patrol (4 hours), contingent on tide, moon cycle, and daytime activities. On weeks with early morning activities (05:30), there are no night patrols.
Weekends: Volunteers have one day off unless it coincides with turtle arrivals. In such cases, they will shift the day off.
Seasons: The Romelia project runs throughout the year, with the turtle nesting period spanning from May to late November/early December. The height of this season lies between August and November when turtles continue to nest and hatchlings emerge.
Note: It’s important to know that while the seasons stay mostly the same all year, factors like water temperature, late rains, and changes in the weather can affect how many turtles come to Romelia beach. During the busy times, you may see around 4-5 turtles each night, but we can’t promise this will happen every time. Some nights during the busy season, you might only see 1 turtle nesting, and sometimes we might not see any at all.
During the non-nesting season (January-April), night patrols cease, and the focus shifts to the hatchery. Volunteers ensure that all eggs have hatched, carry out an exhumation and data collection process for those that didn’t hatch or died in the nest. Afterward, the hatchery’s sand is replaced to prepare for the upcoming turtle season, with careful attention to remove any plastic or other contaminants. This task is physically demanding and can extend beyond a month. Additional duties during this period include beach cleaning and community work.
Alternative Placements: This volunteer program fills up quickly! In case your requested date is full, we can also place you with excellent Sea Turtle conservation programs in Ostional (open all year round), Montezuma (open all year round), or the Caribbean Coast (open from March – August each year).
