Final week in Swansea, Wales
Well, here we go...after a long stay of 9 months, with only one week left here in Swansea, and just two final exams to go...I'm already getting a little nervous, anxious,... excited about what's to come. In exactly one week, I will be back in Toronto to be with my beautiful family for 4 days before jumping on a plane again once more, and be on my way to Tortuguero, Costa Rica for 90 days.
York University International Internship Program has offered me this great opportunity to work with COTERC (The Canadian Organization for Tropical Ecucation and Rainforest Conservation). I will be working with researchers, other interns, and volunteers for the monitoring and conservation of Marine Turtle Endangered species that come to nest on the sandy shores of Tortuguero. I will also be helping out with the study of large mammals in the area, including several primate species, monitoring their populations, use of habitat and foraging strategies.
This experience will not only help me professionally towards a career in conservation, but will also be one of personal fullfillment. I have always wanted to get the opportunity of working directly with animals, and here it is! for the first time....and hopefully not the last. Well, I have previously worked with animals in a volunteer setting, but for very short periods.
It will all be very challenging I am sure, but rewarding. I have been told that the job is very exausting and of very long hours under the sun and high humidity. Our days will usually start around 5am, or if on a night walk, they'll finish around that time. We'll be surveing the long beach for poachers and any nesting female turtles, checking for tags, previously placed on the turtles, to see if it is a returning female. Turtles travel long distances in the open ocean by the way, but they always return to their same foraging sites and nesting beaches. Amazing I know!! Scientists say, that they are guided by the magnetic field of the earth, using a built-in grid of field intensities and inclinations...it's like they have a map-sense of their position in the wide ocean.
I am excited to know that I will be acquiring a lot of new skills in conservation strategies, that I will be able to use later on during my career.
It will all be very challenging I am sure, but rewarding. I have been told that the job is very exausting and of very long hours under the sun and high humidity. Our days will usually start around 5am, or if on a night walk, they'll finish around that time. We'll be surveing the long beach for poachers and any nesting female turtles, checking for tags, previously placed on the turtles, to see if it is a returning female. Turtles travel long distances in the open ocean by the way, but they always return to their same foraging sites and nesting beaches. Amazing I know!! Scientists say, that they are guided by the magnetic field of the earth, using a built-in grid of field intensities and inclinations...it's like they have a map-sense of their position in the wide ocean.
I am excited to know that I will be acquiring a lot of new skills in conservation strategies, that I will be able to use later on during my career.
Working in a Wet Tropical Forest will also mean lots of mosquito bites and bugs. While working with turtles, we will not be allowed to wear any mosquito repellents because of the strong chemicals. This is for the safety of the animals (makes me think how crazy we humans are, to put all this chemical stuff on ourselves everyday) and here I am taking care of the turtle. hehehhehe Of course I will be bringing lots of tea tree oil to use instead of the repellent, I just hope it works as well.
Anyway, I hope I don't get all bumpy from so many bites or get eaten by the crocodile. I will write again once I arrive in Costa Rica.
Until then....Au revoir! :)
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