Weirdest thing yet at rainsong !
aug 7, 2010,
a fellow planetary guardian calls rainsong for the rescue of an adult congo [howler monkey] being attacked by dogs on the beach of tambor.
we immediately dispatched a rescue team, and the monkey was rescued and taken directly to the rws DVM Deanne Sharer.
she called me later to inform me of the congo's condition... a few deep puncture wounds, loss of blood was not life-threatening...
but her real surprise was to tell me that this congo is an HERMAPHRODITE.
wow ! male & female. it's a miracle his own troop didn't kill him/her at birth.
evidently his troop just abandoned the baby, and someone found him and took him as a pet.
then when he was an adult, they released him on the beach at tambor.
he's been hanging out there all alone for about 3 years, local residents have told us that he avoided contact with the other howler monkeys in the area.
now he's safe at rainsong, living next to his own kind, mona lisa... & her adopted babies.
he seems to be settling in to his new circumstances.
he's very calm, and not at all threatened by human caretaking, like your usual wild adult howler monkey.
his rescuer, the FPG who called rainsong, has become his sponsor now, and is paying for his medical care, food, vitamins, etc.
his sponsor decided to call him 'teddy'.
i dubbed him 'teddy the frodo', when we found out about his strangeness.
hermaphrodite births in monkeys are quite rare, about 1 in 500,000.
but there's some really bad news connected to this issue.....
HERMAPHRODITE births in wildlife globally are increasing at an alarming rate.
These anomalies of nature can be caused by genetic damage from mercury poisioning in the environment.
The polar bears of the arctic is the species most threatened by this mutation.
They are already severely endangered by the loss of the ice pack due to global warming,
now this added danger to the future of the species is pushing the polar bear into extinction very rapidly.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
February 1, 2010 - Cabuya, Costa Rica
Illegal gillnetters, shrimp boats, nest robbers, and vehicles threaten
endangered sea turtles on Playa Manzanillo,
Nicoya Peninsula
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary’s sea turtle protection project at Playa
Manzanillo de Cobano on the Nicoya Peninsula has revealed the
operation of up to 100 boats using illegal gillnets in the waters near
Manzanillo. Most of these boats are gillnetting inside the 12 kilometers
of strictly protected ocean that is part of the Caletas/Ario Wildlife
Refuge.
The gillnets entangle sea turtles attempting to reach the beach to lay
their eggs, causing their death by drowning. Eye witnesses report that
gillnetters dismember the turtles for their flesh and shells, dump the remains overboard, and sell the meat and
shells in Puntarenas.
Hawksbill, leatherback, olive ridley, black, and green turtles nest on Playa Manzanillo. All except the ridley are
critically endangered globally. The hawksbill is the most endangered sea turtle on the planet.
All species of sea turtles are protected by international and national laws. In Costa Rica the penalty for nest
robbing or killing a sea turtle is three years in prison. These protective, but poorly enforced, laws reflect the
tremendous obstacles to sea turtle survival: only one
hatchling in one thousand that actually reach the sea
survive their first year.
The tragic situation at Playa Manzanillo prompted
Rainsong to request immediate action from pertinent
Costa Rican authorities on December 20, 2009.
On Friday, January 8, 2010, three officials from
the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and
Telecommunications (MINAET) and five public police
officials accompanied Mary Lynn Perry, President of
Rainsong, and Walter Cuendis Lopez, Rainsong’s Sea
Turtle Patrol Captain, to inspect and photograph the
boats using the illegal nets in order for Rainsong to file a
Denuncia.
CONTACT:
Mary Lynn Perry
Telephone: (011 506) 2642 1265
(011 506) 8387 3607
(011 506) 8336 7905
PRESS RELEASE Or email: rainsongwildlifesanctuary@gmail.com
Sea turtles are drowning in illegal gillnets used in
the protected waters of Caletas/Ario Refuge.
Authorities investigate, but no action has been
taken to date against illegal gillnetters.
After much insistence, PRETOMA’s Erick Lopez Aguero convinced the Costa Rican Coast Guard to make a
sweep at sea to confiscate illegal nets and document gillnetters’ boats for legal prosecutions. This operation began
on Monday, January 18. The Coast Guard never reached the rocky reef of the Caletas/Ario refuge, however,
because the patrol boat had filled the vessel with confiscated gillnets before even reaching Playa Coyote, north
of Manzanillo. Rainsong is still waiting for the promised return of the Costa Rican Coast Guard to remove the
gilllnets inside the national wildlife refuge.
On January 25, PRETOMA officers and Rainsong’s Walter and ‘Pipo’ (Edier Rodriguez) inspected refuge waters
in PRETOMA’s two launches. Many signs of gillnetting paraphernalia were found, but the group was unable to
pull the devices because police officers requested did not show up to provide authorization for their removal.
Where is MINAET?
MINAET, which has legal jurisdiction for wildlife in the protected area, has been asked repeatedly by Rainsong
to bring its authority to the situation. MINAET’s Area de Conservacion Tempisque (ACT) offices in Nicoya and
Hojanche have not responded with any action to date. According to Nathaniel Grew Jr., Refuge Representative,
MINAET abandoned this site more than three years ago, breaking a contract with the Refuge to provide presence
of authority and patrols.
Threats from all sides: Illegal shrimpboats inside the
refuge; cars, nest robbers, driftwood and trash
Turtles able to reach the beach to nest face additional threats. It is
illegal to drive on Costa Rica’s beaches, but cars regularly plough
deep ruts into the sand at Playa Manzanillo. Both turtle nests and
hatchlings are crushed by the vehicles, and hatchlings trapped in
the ruts cannot reach the sea before heat from the morning sun
kills them. Driftwood and trash on the beach also make it difficult
for the hatchlings to reach the ocean. Nest robbers take an
additional heavy toll.
Sea turtle protection project successes
Rainsong’s Patrol Captain, Walter Cuendis, patrols 14 kilometers of nesting beaches nightly, on foot.
A tireless, fearless protector of the sea turtles, he is known as ‘’tortuga ninja’’ by locals and Rainsong
volunteers. Walter and Mary have endured death threats and aggression from angry gillnetters who want to
end all endeavors to bring the authorities to Manzanillo to stop the massacre
of marine life.
Rainsong’s protection project, which began patrols on December 20, has
encountered 35 nests to date. Eight were leatherback, the others were olive
ridley and black sea turtles. Eleven nests, two of which were leatherback,
were rescued and transferred to a safe location. The rest of the nests were
raided by human nest robbers before they could be saved. Approximately
275 hatchlings have been rescued and escorted to the sea, from nests that
escaped nest robbers before Rainsong began patrols.
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is seeking sponsors, volunteers, and donations
to continue the fight to protect the unique sea turtle nesting site at Playa
Manzanillo. For more information, please visit www.costaricaanimals.org,
www.rainsongsanctuary.com, or send an email to:
rainsongwildlifesanctuary@gmail.com
subject title: MARY – SEA TURTLES.
Illegal gillnetters, shrimp boats, nest robbers, and vehicles threaten
endangered sea turtles on Playa Manzanillo,
Nicoya Peninsula
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary’s sea turtle protection project at Playa
Manzanillo de Cobano on the Nicoya Peninsula has revealed the
operation of up to 100 boats using illegal gillnets in the waters near
Manzanillo. Most of these boats are gillnetting inside the 12 kilometers
of strictly protected ocean that is part of the Caletas/Ario Wildlife
Refuge.
The gillnets entangle sea turtles attempting to reach the beach to lay
their eggs, causing their death by drowning. Eye witnesses report that
gillnetters dismember the turtles for their flesh and shells, dump the remains overboard, and sell the meat and
shells in Puntarenas.
Hawksbill, leatherback, olive ridley, black, and green turtles nest on Playa Manzanillo. All except the ridley are
critically endangered globally. The hawksbill is the most endangered sea turtle on the planet.
All species of sea turtles are protected by international and national laws. In Costa Rica the penalty for nest
robbing or killing a sea turtle is three years in prison. These protective, but poorly enforced, laws reflect the
tremendous obstacles to sea turtle survival: only one
hatchling in one thousand that actually reach the sea
survive their first year.
The tragic situation at Playa Manzanillo prompted
Rainsong to request immediate action from pertinent
Costa Rican authorities on December 20, 2009.
On Friday, January 8, 2010, three officials from
the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and
Telecommunications (MINAET) and five public police
officials accompanied Mary Lynn Perry, President of
Rainsong, and Walter Cuendis Lopez, Rainsong’s Sea
Turtle Patrol Captain, to inspect and photograph the
boats using the illegal nets in order for Rainsong to file a
Denuncia.
CONTACT:
Mary Lynn Perry
Telephone: (011 506) 2642 1265
(011 506) 8387 3607
(011 506) 8336 7905
PRESS RELEASE Or email: rainsongwildlifesanctuary@gmail.com
Sea turtles are drowning in illegal gillnets used in
the protected waters of Caletas/Ario Refuge.
Authorities investigate, but no action has been
taken to date against illegal gillnetters.
After much insistence, PRETOMA’s Erick Lopez Aguero convinced the Costa Rican Coast Guard to make a
sweep at sea to confiscate illegal nets and document gillnetters’ boats for legal prosecutions. This operation began
on Monday, January 18. The Coast Guard never reached the rocky reef of the Caletas/Ario refuge, however,
because the patrol boat had filled the vessel with confiscated gillnets before even reaching Playa Coyote, north
of Manzanillo. Rainsong is still waiting for the promised return of the Costa Rican Coast Guard to remove the
gilllnets inside the national wildlife refuge.
On January 25, PRETOMA officers and Rainsong’s Walter and ‘Pipo’ (Edier Rodriguez) inspected refuge waters
in PRETOMA’s two launches. Many signs of gillnetting paraphernalia were found, but the group was unable to
pull the devices because police officers requested did not show up to provide authorization for their removal.
Where is MINAET?
MINAET, which has legal jurisdiction for wildlife in the protected area, has been asked repeatedly by Rainsong
to bring its authority to the situation. MINAET’s Area de Conservacion Tempisque (ACT) offices in Nicoya and
Hojanche have not responded with any action to date. According to Nathaniel Grew Jr., Refuge Representative,
MINAET abandoned this site more than three years ago, breaking a contract with the Refuge to provide presence
of authority and patrols.
Threats from all sides: Illegal shrimpboats inside the
refuge; cars, nest robbers, driftwood and trash
Turtles able to reach the beach to nest face additional threats. It is
illegal to drive on Costa Rica’s beaches, but cars regularly plough
deep ruts into the sand at Playa Manzanillo. Both turtle nests and
hatchlings are crushed by the vehicles, and hatchlings trapped in
the ruts cannot reach the sea before heat from the morning sun
kills them. Driftwood and trash on the beach also make it difficult
for the hatchlings to reach the ocean. Nest robbers take an
additional heavy toll.
Sea turtle protection project successes
Rainsong’s Patrol Captain, Walter Cuendis, patrols 14 kilometers of nesting beaches nightly, on foot.
A tireless, fearless protector of the sea turtles, he is known as ‘’tortuga ninja’’ by locals and Rainsong
volunteers. Walter and Mary have endured death threats and aggression from angry gillnetters who want to
end all endeavors to bring the authorities to Manzanillo to stop the massacre
of marine life.
Rainsong’s protection project, which began patrols on December 20, has
encountered 35 nests to date. Eight were leatherback, the others were olive
ridley and black sea turtles. Eleven nests, two of which were leatherback,
were rescued and transferred to a safe location. The rest of the nests were
raided by human nest robbers before they could be saved. Approximately
275 hatchlings have been rescued and escorted to the sea, from nests that
escaped nest robbers before Rainsong began patrols.
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is seeking sponsors, volunteers, and donations
to continue the fight to protect the unique sea turtle nesting site at Playa
Manzanillo. For more information, please visit www.costaricaanimals.org,
www.rainsongsanctuary.com, or send an email to:
rainsongwildlifesanctuary@gmail.com
subject title: MARY – SEA TURTLES.
Monday, December 28, 2009
sea turtle captain
Greetings from Manzanillo!!!
Here's a quick summary of our findings after our first week of intensive night patrols to protect sea turtles nesting on the beaches of Playa Manzanillo de Cobano, from the quebrada manzanillo to the south side of the Bongo River.
Rainsong's volunteers began the patrols Dec. 20, Sunday night. The patrols have been able to rescue 14 sea turtle nests in just 6 nights [dec 20-25] !!! All were the olive ridley. The patrols erase the turtles' tracks to and from the nesting site, so that the poachers cannot find the nests. 4 nests were partially ravaged by raccoons, and 2 other nests were found already pillaged by nestrobbers [humans].
Obviously there are plenty of sea turtles that call manzanillo home, so we are very committed to continuing our efforts !
Walter Cuendis Lopez, rainsong's patrol captain, has proven to be a true sea turtle lover !!! 'Tortuga ninja' ['ninja turtle'] is his local nickname, since he has been a sea turtle advocate for years at manzanillo ! He is tireless, diligent, and his perseverance inspires the volunteers during the all-night-long patrols.
He has made this project his own for his love for the sea turtles, and Rainsong could not manage without Walter's dedication to the protection patrols.
walter is knowledgeable regarding tides and crossing rivers safely, and he carefully guides the rainsong volunteers throughout the night. Rainsong staff has agreed that walter deserves compensation for his commitment, and we are now paying him a salary for his contribution as supervisor and captain of the patrols.
Walter has solicited the help of many locals living on the beachfront in Manzanillo, to help us keep human predators away from the sea turtles' nests.
We are just beginning this project, and we already have a wonderful group of locals cooperating with our efforts. This is very encouraging !
Rainsong volunteer ella mae walker was assisting Walter for the first week of patrols. She came to rainsong from a leatherback and black turtle conservation project in ostional, and she has contributed much knowledge and practical advice. After working for a month in Ostional, where two separate sea turtle protection projects have been running for multiple years, she has thoroughly enjoyed starting a new project where the surrounding towns are less educated and open to new ideas. The payoff has been unbelievable and the short time spent in Manzanillo is the highlight of her time spent in Costa Rica thus far.
Christmas night, rainsong patrol volunteer, jeannie deibel, was thrilled to experience the nesting ritual of an olive ridley sea turtle,
for the first time in her life ! she is very excited !
Saturday, dec 26, mary lynn perry, justin taylor, and patrol captain walter cuendis were at the playa carmen fiestas entrance, carrying out community outreach to educate the public about the sea turtles' plight.
The general public seems unaware of the serious situation sea turtles are facing, locally and globally. Many people were responsive and interested.
also, we recruited several other local boys from manzanillo to help walter in the night patrols.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES PLANNED AT PLAYA MANZANILLO SITE :
-thursday, dec 31, 2009, 3pm, restaurant atardecer -- Rainsong staff will be holding a meeting with the manzanillo community group that is cooperating with our sea turtle protection project, then we are all going up the beach, to the north side of quebrada 'chapeton', to begin intensive clearing off of the driftwood blocking the nesting sites for the turtles.
LEATHERBACK nesting season is upon us, and we intend to continue laboring to clear the driftwood from above the high tide line, to allow the leatherbacks room for nesting.
the ridleys that our patrols have observed so far, are laying their eggs below the high tide line, since the soft powdery sand optimal for nesting found above the high tide line is covered by literally tons of driftwood.
From our online investigations, we've found that it is unlikely that many of the eggs laid below the high tide line will actually hatch, the change of temperature that occurs when the nest is covered by the sea water will affect the eggs' viability drastically, and reduce the hatch % to a very low percentage.
Anyone who can send us links to more data or studies on this .........PLEASE DO !!!
NEW YEARS' DAY , jan 1, 2010:
restaurant atardecer - while enjoying the festivities of the annual new years' day party at the restaurant atardecer, rainsong staff and members of the manzanilla conservation group will also be continuing community outreach by talking with the locals about the sea turtles.
hopefully we can attract more people to help us with clearing the driftwood away so the leatherbacks will be able to nest.
we will be collecting signatures for a petition to solicit stricter enforcement of existing laws that protect sea turtles, and the legislation of better protection laws in the near future.
rainsong staff will also spend time with the kids there, spreading 'fun learning ' and giving prizes and gifts to the kids.
we have a wonderful collection of educational materials [donated by rainsong volunteers] regarding many conservation topics, and especially sea turtles.
we're all sure to have fun !
and begin the new year with hope and concern for the sea turtles at playa manzanillo !
JANUARY
we are very anxious to attend a meeting planned between rainsong staff, refuge representatives, and pretoma officials, possibly even MINAET officials, at the manzanilla site.
the exact date in january has yet to be set by the participants.
there are many subjects to be discussed, and several serious challenges to be resolved.
the priority for rainsong is to acquire orientation from pretoma in the handling of the removal /rescue of the turtles' eggs, to be then safely transferred and guarded in a hatchery area in the refuge.
LEATHERBACK nesting season begins in january, according to many documents we have read.
so we want to be prepared to rescue all nests found during the rainsong patrols and tranfer the eggs to the secured hatchery area.
we hope the strategy meeting can take place on a sunday, so that rainsong's friends, biologists carlos porras and natalia corrales can join us, bringing their expertise and experience with sea turtle conservation to the table.
WE HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR A SAFER YEAR AHEAD FOR SEA TURTLES AT PLAYA MANZANILLO !!!
happy turtles,
Here's a quick summary of our findings after our first week of intensive night patrols to protect sea turtles nesting on the beaches of Playa Manzanillo de Cobano, from the quebrada manzanillo to the south side of the Bongo River.
Rainsong's volunteers began the patrols Dec. 20, Sunday night. The patrols have been able to rescue 14 sea turtle nests in just 6 nights [dec 20-25] !!! All were the olive ridley. The patrols erase the turtles' tracks to and from the nesting site, so that the poachers cannot find the nests. 4 nests were partially ravaged by raccoons, and 2 other nests were found already pillaged by nestrobbers [humans].
Obviously there are plenty of sea turtles that call manzanillo home, so we are very committed to continuing our efforts !
Walter Cuendis Lopez, rainsong's patrol captain, has proven to be a true sea turtle lover !!! 'Tortuga ninja' ['ninja turtle'] is his local nickname, since he has been a sea turtle advocate for years at manzanillo ! He is tireless, diligent, and his perseverance inspires the volunteers during the all-night-long patrols.
He has made this project his own for his love for the sea turtles, and Rainsong could not manage without Walter's dedication to the protection patrols.
walter is knowledgeable regarding tides and crossing rivers safely, and he carefully guides the rainsong volunteers throughout the night. Rainsong staff has agreed that walter deserves compensation for his commitment, and we are now paying him a salary for his contribution as supervisor and captain of the patrols.
Walter has solicited the help of many locals living on the beachfront in Manzanillo, to help us keep human predators away from the sea turtles' nests.
We are just beginning this project, and we already have a wonderful group of locals cooperating with our efforts. This is very encouraging !
Rainsong volunteer ella mae walker was assisting Walter for the first week of patrols. She came to rainsong from a leatherback and black turtle conservation project in ostional, and she has contributed much knowledge and practical advice. After working for a month in Ostional, where two separate sea turtle protection projects have been running for multiple years, she has thoroughly enjoyed starting a new project where the surrounding towns are less educated and open to new ideas. The payoff has been unbelievable and the short time spent in Manzanillo is the highlight of her time spent in Costa Rica thus far.
Christmas night, rainsong patrol volunteer, jeannie deibel, was thrilled to experience the nesting ritual of an olive ridley sea turtle,
for the first time in her life ! she is very excited !
Saturday, dec 26, mary lynn perry, justin taylor, and patrol captain walter cuendis were at the playa carmen fiestas entrance, carrying out community outreach to educate the public about the sea turtles' plight.
The general public seems unaware of the serious situation sea turtles are facing, locally and globally. Many people were responsive and interested.
also, we recruited several other local boys from manzanillo to help walter in the night patrols.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES PLANNED AT PLAYA MANZANILLO SITE :
-thursday, dec 31, 2009, 3pm, restaurant atardecer -- Rainsong staff will be holding a meeting with the manzanillo community group that is cooperating with our sea turtle protection project, then we are all going up the beach, to the north side of quebrada 'chapeton', to begin intensive clearing off of the driftwood blocking the nesting sites for the turtles.
LEATHERBACK nesting season is upon us, and we intend to continue laboring to clear the driftwood from above the high tide line, to allow the leatherbacks room for nesting.
the ridleys that our patrols have observed so far, are laying their eggs below the high tide line, since the soft powdery sand optimal for nesting found above the high tide line is covered by literally tons of driftwood.
From our online investigations, we've found that it is unlikely that many of the eggs laid below the high tide line will actually hatch, the change of temperature that occurs when the nest is covered by the sea water will affect the eggs' viability drastically, and reduce the hatch % to a very low percentage.
Anyone who can send us links to more data or studies on this .........PLEASE DO !!!
NEW YEARS' DAY , jan 1, 2010:
restaurant atardecer - while enjoying the festivities of the annual new years' day party at the restaurant atardecer, rainsong staff and members of the manzanilla conservation group will also be continuing community outreach by talking with the locals about the sea turtles.
hopefully we can attract more people to help us with clearing the driftwood away so the leatherbacks will be able to nest.
we will be collecting signatures for a petition to solicit stricter enforcement of existing laws that protect sea turtles, and the legislation of better protection laws in the near future.
rainsong staff will also spend time with the kids there, spreading 'fun learning ' and giving prizes and gifts to the kids.
we have a wonderful collection of educational materials [donated by rainsong volunteers] regarding many conservation topics, and especially sea turtles.
we're all sure to have fun !
and begin the new year with hope and concern for the sea turtles at playa manzanillo !
JANUARY
we are very anxious to attend a meeting planned between rainsong staff, refuge representatives, and pretoma officials, possibly even MINAET officials, at the manzanilla site.
the exact date in january has yet to be set by the participants.
there are many subjects to be discussed, and several serious challenges to be resolved.
the priority for rainsong is to acquire orientation from pretoma in the handling of the removal /rescue of the turtles' eggs, to be then safely transferred and guarded in a hatchery area in the refuge.
LEATHERBACK nesting season begins in january, according to many documents we have read.
so we want to be prepared to rescue all nests found during the rainsong patrols and tranfer the eggs to the secured hatchery area.
we hope the strategy meeting can take place on a sunday, so that rainsong's friends, biologists carlos porras and natalia corrales can join us, bringing their expertise and experience with sea turtle conservation to the table.
WE HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR A SAFER YEAR AHEAD FOR SEA TURTLES AT PLAYA MANZANILLO !!!
happy turtles,
Friday, December 11, 2009
student scholarships
The Rainsong Uniform and Colegio Scholarship program is twofold:
1.FREE UNIFORMS FOR PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS - we intend to provide uniforms for elementary school children in our area whose families have limited resources, especially families headed by single mothers, or grandparents raising their grandchildren. There are many families who cannot afford to buy the uniforms necessary for their children to attend primary [or elementary] school.
2. COLEGIO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - we will provide tuition and fees necessary for Rainsong's selected sponsored students in 6th grade whose families cannot afford to pay for their attendance in colegio [high school - 7th grade & on].
These sponsored students will also enjoy many other benefits from their being involved in the rainsong projects.
For example :
1.private tutoring from rws volunteers in english, math, or any area they are struggling with.
2. also, a series of intensive classes involving global conservation issues, to school them regarding the planetary picture, so that they can begin to share their knowledge with the elementary students in their area's elementary schools, in presentations organized & supervised by rainsong staff, using the world globes provided by Greenwave as teaching tools.
3. help with the collecting of saplings in the forest, bagging the saplings, upgrading the trees to larger bags when necessary, caring for veggie gardens at the rws sanctuary, and other opportunities for learning skills that could provide them later on with a profession as a biodynamic gardener/landscaper or provide them a background for a career as a conservationist/reforester.
4. experience with the animal care in the rescue center.
5.animal husbandry skills - hands on - at Rainsong : goats, horses, chickens, etc.
6. a penpal program: we already have a stateside school ready to be the penpal friends stateside. the penpal program will be online in order to also teach computer skills that anyone in almost any job needs. The penpal program is also another great way to teach them english !!! since the american kids will be writing initially in english.
7. Sea turtle patrol program that will involve the students and their families.
1.FREE UNIFORMS FOR PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS - we intend to provide uniforms for elementary school children in our area whose families have limited resources, especially families headed by single mothers, or grandparents raising their grandchildren. There are many families who cannot afford to buy the uniforms necessary for their children to attend primary [or elementary] school.
2. COLEGIO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM - we will provide tuition and fees necessary for Rainsong's selected sponsored students in 6th grade whose families cannot afford to pay for their attendance in colegio [high school - 7th grade & on].
These sponsored students will also enjoy many other benefits from their being involved in the rainsong projects.
For example :
1.private tutoring from rws volunteers in english, math, or any area they are struggling with.
2. also, a series of intensive classes involving global conservation issues, to school them regarding the planetary picture, so that they can begin to share their knowledge with the elementary students in their area's elementary schools, in presentations organized & supervised by rainsong staff, using the world globes provided by Greenwave as teaching tools.
3. help with the collecting of saplings in the forest, bagging the saplings, upgrading the trees to larger bags when necessary, caring for veggie gardens at the rws sanctuary, and other opportunities for learning skills that could provide them later on with a profession as a biodynamic gardener/landscaper or provide them a background for a career as a conservationist/reforester.
4. experience with the animal care in the rescue center.
5.animal husbandry skills - hands on - at Rainsong : goats, horses, chickens, etc.
6. a penpal program: we already have a stateside school ready to be the penpal friends stateside. the penpal program will be online in order to also teach computer skills that anyone in almost any job needs. The penpal program is also another great way to teach them english !!! since the american kids will be writing initially in english.
7. Sea turtle patrol program that will involve the students and their families.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
End Wildlife Electrocutions in Costa Rica
Here is a recent article published concerning the frequent electrocution of arboreal animals in Costa Rica...
Every day, monkeys, kinkajous, sloths and other arboreal
wildlife are brutally electrocuted on Costa Rica’s electrical
transmission system. Based on the hundreds of electro-
cuted animals reported to local wildlife rescue groups in
2008/2009, projected annual electrocution estimates in the
thousands are reasonable. Escalating real estate develop-
ment and the expansion of the electrical grid have intensi-
fied the problem.
These deaths and injuries are preventable: when power
lines and transformer wires are shielded, animals are not
harmed. Some shielded hardware has been installed in
parts of the country, but the higher costs of this safe tech-
nology are considered by the power industry to be unaf-
fordable, so it is not integrated into the industry’s current
business model.
Other methods to prevent electrocutions have been tried:
monkey bridges, branch- and vine-cutting operations, and
wider power line spacing. Although these methods can
reduce the number of electrocutions, none is an effective,
long-term solution.
Costa Rica lost half of its monkey population in the 12-year
period between 1995 and 2007. Change in power industry
policy and actual practice in the field is needed now. Work-
ing together, public and private institutions can solve the
electrocution problem by calling for and contributing to the
development of a comprehensive, strategic solution. Creative
approaches to the cost issues, including new product sourc-
ing and technology design, are critical. If shielded or buried
power lines became a best practice - the default practice for
the power industry - the suffering and death of arboreal wild-
life on Costa Rica’s electrical transmission system would end.
To respond to this call to action, email:
noelectrocutions@gmail.com
Every day, monkeys, kinkajous, sloths and other arboreal
wildlife are brutally electrocuted on Costa Rica’s electrical
transmission system. Based on the hundreds of electro-
cuted animals reported to local wildlife rescue groups in
2008/2009, projected annual electrocution estimates in the
thousands are reasonable. Escalating real estate develop-
ment and the expansion of the electrical grid have intensi-
fied the problem.
These deaths and injuries are preventable: when power
lines and transformer wires are shielded, animals are not
harmed. Some shielded hardware has been installed in
parts of the country, but the higher costs of this safe tech-
nology are considered by the power industry to be unaf-
fordable, so it is not integrated into the industry’s current
business model.
Other methods to prevent electrocutions have been tried:
monkey bridges, branch- and vine-cutting operations, and
wider power line spacing. Although these methods can
reduce the number of electrocutions, none is an effective,
long-term solution.
Costa Rica lost half of its monkey population in the 12-year
period between 1995 and 2007. Change in power industry
policy and actual practice in the field is needed now. Work-
ing together, public and private institutions can solve the
electrocution problem by calling for and contributing to the
development of a comprehensive, strategic solution. Creative
approaches to the cost issues, including new product sourc-
ing and technology design, are critical. If shielded or buried
power lines became a best practice - the default practice for
the power industry - the suffering and death of arboreal wild-
life on Costa Rica’s electrical transmission system would end.
To respond to this call to action, email:
noelectrocutions@gmail.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
End sale of sea turtle eggs
Costa Rica is home to two of the Eastern Pacific's largest olive ridley sea turtle nesting sites at Nancite Beach and Ostional Beach. Ostional Beach has a government monitored program to patrol the beach and also allow the community to harvest a certain percentage of the sea turtle eggs to be sold at market. However, many people from other areas take advantage of this arrangement by selling turtle eggs from other beaches and claim that they have harvested them at Ostional. The result is that the overall population of olive ridleys had declined. The population of olive ridleys at Nancite has dropped over 90% in the past 30 years. The population at Ostional has remained stable, but there is little or no data available on other beaches to gauge the overall population decline in the area.
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is partnering with PRETOMA Sea Turtle Restoration Program and private landowners to create a program for monitoring and protection key nesting sites for both leatherback turtles and olive ridleys on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The leatherback is listed as critically endangered and is the top priority for this sea turtle protection program.
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is seeking government and private support to end the sale of sea turtle eggs in Costa Rica to increase the viability of turtle populations on all beaches in the country, particularly those where there is little or no monitoring and enforcement.
Another threat to the leatherback and olive ridley populations in this area is the agricultural development occurring at the Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.pretoma.org/sea-turtle-wildlife-refuge-bulldozed-by-farming-company/) carried out by Agropecuaria Caletas S.A.
Detailed information on the olive ridley and leatherbacks can be found at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/oliveridley.htm
http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/olive-ridley-sea-turtle.htm
http://www.eurocbc.org/seaturtletrackingconservationproject_08mar2006page1886.html
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is partnering with PRETOMA Sea Turtle Restoration Program and private landowners to create a program for monitoring and protection key nesting sites for both leatherback turtles and olive ridleys on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The leatherback is listed as critically endangered and is the top priority for this sea turtle protection program.
Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary is seeking government and private support to end the sale of sea turtle eggs in Costa Rica to increase the viability of turtle populations on all beaches in the country, particularly those where there is little or no monitoring and enforcement.
Another threat to the leatherback and olive ridley populations in this area is the agricultural development occurring at the Caletas-Ario National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.pretoma.org/sea-turtle-wildlife-refuge-bulldozed-by-farming-company/) carried out by Agropecuaria Caletas S.A.
Detailed information on the olive ridley and leatherbacks can be found at:
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/oliveridley.htm
http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/olive-ridley-sea-turtle.htm
http://www.eurocbc.org/seaturtletrackingconservationproject_08mar2006page1886.html
New rescue: Franceska
Our newest animal rescue is baby Franceska. She is a very young howler monkey whose mother was recently electrocuted on an uninsulated eletric line in Delicias on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica. The baby's instinct is to hold onto her mother as long as she possibly can, even though she was probably already dead. Nearby residents spotted the gruesome site and called Rainsong Wildlife Sanctuary. We quickly sent out a rescue team that was met by the electric company to rescue the baby monkey.
Franceska is still in a very fearful state and trying to get used to her surrroundings, but she is eating well and has adapted to her life in the rescue center. She has quickly become friends with Doodles and Evee, the other baby howler monkeys and enjoys regular human contact, care and nutrition.
Until recently, most power lines in this area were not insulated a frightening number of arboreal mammal species (monkeys, kinkajous, sloths) were being electrocuted due to this lack of insulation. Costa Rica lost half of its monkey population in the 12-year period between 1995 and 2007 (http://www.nosarawildlife.com/call%20to%20action.pdf).
Immediate action to resolve this problem is needed now. Fortunately, a few areas of the Nicoya Peninsula have begun to install insulation on the power lines, but similar action is needed in all areas to save the existing monkey population.
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