Protect the Magic of Pacuare Reserve

Help maintain the Reserve so researchers and EPI participants can continue to protect its majestic wildlife and habitats

A fundraising campaign for Ecology Project International

The Need: 

Pacuare Reserve is a 2,000 acre protected area on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica. Its 4 mile beach is the fourth most important nesting beach in the world for the endangered  Northwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation of the leatherback sea turtle. Leatherback sea turtles are one of three species of sea turtles that nest at Pacuare beach - green turtles and hawskbill turtles also nest along Pacuare's protected shores. 

Since EPI started field science programs at Pacuare beach, the predation rate of leatherback sea turtle eggs has decreased drastically - to less than 2% today! However, the 2016 nesting season data reveals the lowest number of recorded nests in 23 years of monitoring.  Sea turtles face many threats, including loss of nesting and feeding sites due to coastal development, entanglement in fishing gear, and human consumption of their eggs and meat. 


The Solution: 

Participants on field science courses with Ecology Project International (EPI) partner with researchers to conduct night time censuses. In a unique cross-cultural collaboration, participants from the U.S. and Costa Rica join the monitoring activities as part of EPI's integral, hands-on courses. 

During these censuses, students collect important data and release sea turtle hatchlings into the ocean to help them avoid predation in their journey from nest to sea. These first-hand encounters with the vulnerable sea turtles that also call Costa Rica home connect the next generation to the global world of conservation and the positive impact they can make as individuals. 


You can help!

It's easy to make a big impact by helping to maintain the Reserve, keeping it running smoothly, and allowing researchers and participants alike to continue needed monitoring and conservation activities on Pacuare beach. Maintaining the research station and necessities that allow researchers and EPI participants to continue this needed work will help protect Pacuare's wildlife and habitats for years to come. Will you help provide the necessary equipment to maintain this precious place by making a contribution today? 


EPI is a nonprofit.

That means we rely on the generosity of our donors, including students, parents, and other supporters, to help make EPI's field science courses possible for local Costa Rican students. These local students often do not have the capacity to pay the full cost of our courses. With your help, we can provide them with the life-changing experience of using the natural world as their classroom, doing hands-on research, and contributing to habitat improvement. 

Share this Campaign!