TURTLE FOUNDATION TURTLE FOUNDATION

LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE PROTECTION PROGRAM LOGGERHEAD SEA TURTLE PROTECTION PROGRAM
BOAVISTA ISLAND CAPE VERDE BOAVISTA ISLAND CAPE VERDE
15 15
TH TH
JUNE TO 25 JUNE TO 25
TH TH
OCTOBER 2014 OCTOBER 2014
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Turtle Foundation runs a sea turtle conservation project on Boavista island since 2008,
working on different project sites to protect and monitor the population of the Loggerhead
sea turtle (Caretta caretta); there are currently nesting !eaches that are fully protected
and monitored !y our teams"
1. Lacaco Beach
2. Curral Velho
Beach
3. Boa Esperana
Beach
4. Norte Beach
5. Canto Beach
The coordination of the whole program is done !y our head staff !ased at the Turtle
Foundation head#uarters in $al %ei, the capital of the island& 'urrently, there are three
different !ases around the island where teams are deployed to ensure the protection of
several key nesting !eaches& These are" Lacac(o 'amp, Boa )speran*a 'amp, and a
house located in the village in Fundo das Figueiras
+Fulll description of project sites can !e found !elow,&
)ach !ase is locally coordinated !y one or two camp coordinators- they are in charge of
ensuring that the camps.house are well maintained, food and water supply are plenty,
and patrols are scheduled and data is collected& /ne or more local assistants are hired to
assist with the patrols, and they may or may not live with the rest of the team in the
camps.house& 0dditionally, to each camp a team of up to soldiers is deployed& The
soldiers ensure the safety of the camps, volunteers, and most importantly the turtles, and
participate actively in all aspects of the work& 1ue to limited funding and workers, Turtle
Foundation relies on national and international volunteers to help in increasing the patrol
area, night coverage and data collection& Typically, a night patrol team is formed !y one
local assistant +or a soldier, and one volunteer, and is scheduled to last !etween 234h
each night&
PARTICIPATION OPTIONS
Turtle Foundation offers two different types of volunteer placements, which differ mainly
in the duration of the volunteers stay, and the amount of responsi!ility" 'onservation
volunteer +minimum stay of 2 weeks, or intern +minimum stay of 8 weeks,&
'/5$)%60T7/5 6/L85T))%$ are re#uired to stay for a minimum of only 2 weeks and
participate in all aspects of the work& 0pplicants from any !ackground are accepted, and
training is provided&
75T)%5$ are re#uired to stay for at least 8 weeks, and may stay up to several months if
they wish& 0pplicants from any !ackground are accepted, however this placement is
more suita!le for gap3year students, undergraduates or recent3graduates who wish to
gain more e9perience in wildlife monitoring techni#ues, conservation work or
sustaina!le tourism& 7nterns will work more closely with the camp coordinators and the
core staff, and might receive e9tra training for specific tasks or research projects taking
place& TF offers intern positions in the following areas" hatchery, censo, night patrol
leader and tourism&
0part from that, there are the following vacancies for on3site positions"
%)$)0%': 0$$7$T05T$ should !est !e availa!le for the whole turtle nesting season
from ;une to the end of /cto!er& <rior e9perience in turtle conservation is necessary&
%esearch assistants will work closely with the research coordinators and will !e
focussing on collecting data for scientific studies, !ut will !e also involved in
otheraspects of camp work&
'0=< '//%1750T/%$ will !e responsi!le for the running of the !each camps and will
work under the supervision of the field coordinator and the project manager& 0pplicants
should !e capa!le of managing the project with little supervision& 'amp coordinators
will need a high level of physical and mental energy and !e resilient and determined&
The jo! of camp coordinator carries a lot of responsi!ility, and work is
e9tremelydemanding !oth at a physical and mental level&
For all o !"#$# %o$&!&o'$ (o) &'* +or# *#!a&l#* *#$,r&%!&o'$ o' o)r -#.$&!#/
PARTICIPANT0S GENERAL DUTIES
0ll participants will work under the supervision
of a camp coordinator team, and will work
alongside local and international volunteers, as
well as 'apeverdian soldiers, assisting the
program in all aspects of conservation and
research&
1aily duties will include monitoring nesting
!eaches either during the night or early in the
morning& 7n the afternoon, other activities such
as collecting data on the !each, preparing
material for research, !each clean3ups, camp
maintenance etc& will !e carried out& <articipants
should e9pect to work up to 20h per week
+sometimes more,&
DUTIES DESCRIPTION
B#a," %a!rol$ or '#$!&'1 !)r!l#$
<atrols are undertaken each night at varying hours and in the early morning& /ur !eaches
range from >km?km +one way, The patrols serve several functions and may last
!etween 234 hours"
$earching for nesting activity and nesting turtles-
:elping with tagging post3nesting turtles, carapace
measuring and other data collection-
$earching for any evidence of nests hatching-
'ollecting data on nesting turtles and nesting
events-
'hecking nests already laid-
$earching for any turtle strandings, whether sick or
dead-
Looking out for illegal poachers on the !each and
report them to the soldiers-
=aintenance and preparation of research
e#uipment
6olunteers are not e9pected to conduct these patrols on their own, and will !e
accompanied !y a community.staff mem!er and.or soldier at all times&
N#$! #2,a3a!&o'$ a'* r#lo,a!&o'$
/ccasionally turtles lay their eggs in unsuita!le places& 7n such cases, the nest is
relocated to a new site and the eggs are carefully moved and re3!uried +mainly at
Lacacao !each camp,& 0fter the nest has hatched we do a survey of the hatching success
rate, which involves nest e9cavation of the nest and analysis of the shells left&
E*),a!&o' 4 a-ar#'#$$
0ssisting with organi@ed turtle watches for school.community groups A tourists-
giving information to individual tourists and other visitors a!out the project
<articipating and helping with school camps-
:elping design school and community education talks A activities +e&g& using drama,
art, songs and games, in su!ject matter concerning marine environment and turtle
conservation-
<articipating in conservation awareness events-
B#a," Cl#a' )%$
These are done regularly and may involve schools, communities, local !usinesses and
the hotels in Boavista&
No #2%#r&#',# &$ '##*#* or !"# 3ol)'!##r %o$&!&o'5 all
!ra&'&'1 -&ll .# %ro3&*#*/
Ho-#3#r (o) +)$! .# -&ll&'1 !o -or6 "ar* a$ !"# r#$#ar,"
r#7)&r#$ lo'1 -al6$ 8)% !o 15 6+9 &' -ar+ a'* ")+&*
,o'*&!&o'$/
:o) al$o '##* !o .# r&#'*l( a'* ,o++)'&,a!&3#5 .# a.l#
!o -or6 &' a 1ro)% a'* l&3# &' a .#a," ,a+% $#!!&'1 8'o
r)''&'1 -a!#r5 'o !o&l#!$5 $"ar#* !#'!$;9
RE<UIREMENTS
0ll participants are e9pected to fullfill certain re#uirements in order to participate in our
program& Bork is e9tremely demanding, !oth at a physical and mental level, and these
re#uirements are just to ensure that volunteers !ring the right e9pectations and enjoy
their e9perience in Boavista&
5eed to !e fit and motivated, and enjoy working outdoors
6olunteers must !e good swimmers, physically fit to walk long distances on soft,
sandy !eaches and nature trails, working in all weather conditions, and keep
smilingC
<revious e9perience in other sea turtle conservation projects is an advantage
0!le to converse, receive and understand instructions in )nglish or <ortuguese
=inimum age of D8
Travel and medical insurance
Being a!le to work in remote areas under e9tremely !asic conditions +no sanitation
in campsitesC,
Fle9i!ility to adapt to changing schedules as re#uired A a!le to adapt to work nights
and sleep days
0vaila!le for a minimum of 2 weeks +conservation volunteers,, 8 weeks +interns, or
for the whole season, if applying for a coordinator position&
A%%l&,a'!$ +)$! )'*#r$!a'* !"a! !"&$ &$ +o$!l( a' o3#r'&1"! %o$&!&o'5 r#$)l!&'1
&' la,6 o $l##%/
A%%l&,a'!$ $"o)l* .# %"($&,all( &! a'* +)$! .# a.l# !o $&!5 $!a'* a'* 6'##l or
lo'1 %#r&o*$ o !&+#/
=or6 ,o'*&!&o'$ ar# #2!r#+# -&!" !#+%#ra!)r#$ ra'1#$ ro+ 1>?C a! '&1"! !o
40?C *)r&'1 !"# *a(/
I' !"# ra&'@$#a$o' 8S#%!@O,!9 -or6 &$ $o+#!&+#$ r#7)&r#* &' ra&'( ,o'*&!&o'$
a'* .)1$ a'* l&#$ ar# 'o! o'l( ,o++o'5 .)! a.)'*a'!/
LIVING IN BOAVISTA =ITH TURTLE FOUNDATION
Eou will !e staying on very remote !eaches and communities, and need to !e prepared to
live without nightlife, shops, television, etc& Eou will have free time during the day to walk
and e9plore the !eauty of the island or to read a !ook& 6olunteers are e9pected to take
active part on camp.house maintenance and cleaning, as well as cooking&
1epending on which project you are allocated
to, you may !e !ased in a small village +Fundo
das Figueiras project,, and you should !e open
and prepared to live respecting 'ape 6erde
culture and ha!its& The villagers are not used to
having foreigners in the village living with
them& 7t is only in the last few years that
tourism has !een growing& Eou might find the
localFs daily ha!its different from yours, !ut
please consider that we are all different and
should respect the culture of the country where
we are& The e9change of culture and different
ways of seeing things enriches us and !rings
positive effects& Bomen are kindly asked to respect the local community culture and
dress discreetly at all times& 7n the !each camps you can wear swimwear and shorts&
'ampsites will !e e9tremely !asic and rustic, and volunteers share the tent with several
other colleagues& Sa'&!a!&o' &$ 'o'@#2&$!&'1 or 3#r( .a$&,5 -"&l# -a!#r -&ll .#
ra!&o'#* a'* )$#* or *r&'6&'1 a'* -a$"&'1 o'l( 8!"#r# -&ll .# 'o r)''&'1
$"o-#r$9/
Foo* &$ a! all !&+#$ 3#r( .a$&,5 a'* a! !&+#$ r#%#!&!&3#/ I! &$ %o$$&.l# !o ,a!#r or
3#1#!ar&a'$5 .)! 'o! or 3#1a'$/ 0pplicants with specific diet re#uirements.food
allergies should contact the project staff prior to applying&
T"# a,!&3&!&#$ o !"# %roA#,! ar# +a&'l( ,o'*),!#* o' $a'*( !ro%&,al .#a,"#$5
-"&," ar# 3#r( &$ola!#*/ 6olunteers should have a keen and genuine interest in
conservation and ecology and respect the surrounding environment&
PROJECT SITE DESCRIPTIONS
<articipants are given the choice to apply specifically to one of these project sites& Turtle
Foundation staff will do their !est to respect participants preferences& 7nterns and
long3term volunteers might !e asked to change project sites throughout their stay if
needed&
<articipants stay in one of the Turtle Foundation
!ases"
a9 La,a,Bo B#a," Ca+%
.9 Boa E$%#ra'Ca B#a," Ca+%
,9 Co++)'&!( S!a( a! F)'*o *a$
F&1)#&ra$
A9 LACACDO BEACH CAMP
Located on the $outheast coast of Boavista, the Lacac(o !each camp, first set in 200G, is
the !ase for the team monitoring and protecting three important nesting sites" Lacac(o
+Hkm, >Im are monitored,, <onta <es#ueiro +>0m, and 'urral 6elho +2&Im,&
The primary purpose of the work on these !eaches is
the protection of the nesting females against poaching
from locals in Lacac(o and 'urral 6elho !eaches as well
as the protection of females and hatchlings from
negative impacts !y touristic activities !y the :otel %78
Touareg and Lacac(o Jolf and Beach %esort& :owever
other serious threats include the artificial lighting
coming from the constructions and the hotel on the
!each, which disorientates !oth adult turtles and
hatchlings, inundation of nests !y high tides, and
motori@ed vehicles on the !each, that result in the loss
of nests&
0 hatchery will !e !uilt on <onta <es#ueiro !each for nests relocated from Lacac(o and
'urral 6elho, that might otherwise !e lost due to different threats& 0lso, a tagging
program and the collection of !iological data on nesting females was initiated in 20D0&
Turtle Foundation also offers information to hotel guests, #uad tours and other visitors to
create more awareness for an ecologically responsi!le tourism& 0 little info point.
merchandise shop was put up on the !each in 20D2& $ince 20D2 the Turtle Foundation
also assists small, selected Tour /perator !usinesses to conduct turtle watching tours
that meet out conservation standards&
The campsite is located on top of a dune overlooking Lacac(o !each, and a short walk
from 'urral 6elho and <onta <es#ueiro !eaches& 7n 'urral 6elho you will find the ruins of
the oldest human settlement in Boavista island, thus of cultural importance, and ne9t to
an important wetland, uni#ue in the island& 7t is also a popular site for surfing !ut is
mostly untouched and not regularly visited !y tourists, despite of !eing considered !y
many one of the most !eautiful !eaches on the island& The 'urral 6elho island is an
important !reeding site for the magnificent Frigate !ird& 7t contrasts with Lacac(o !each,
another !eautiful sandy !each, where the largest tourism development in the country is
currently !eing developed, and the impact of artificial light is notorious on the nesting
females and emerging hatchlings&
1/ LACACDO AND PONTA PES<UEIRO BEACHES
Length" H Im +>Im monitored,
0verage walking time" 2 minutes +each way,
5um!er of nests per season" >003D000
2/ CURRAL VELHO BEACH
Length" 2& Im
0verage walking time" Dh D minutes +each way,
5um!er of nests per season" 2003D200
Par!&,&%a'! Pro&l#E
7nterest in participating in +!asic, research and.or
ecotourism& =ust !e very comforta!le living for at
least 2 weeks in a very remote area in a
self3catering camp setting with no sanitation and
limited water supply& =ust endure e9treme hot
weather& :igh level of fitness and independence
re#uired& Transport to town will !e organi@ed
several times per week- daily transport for days
off is not possi!le, though& For security reasons,
we do not recommend hitch3hiking to town&
B9 BOA ESPERANFA CAMP
Located on the 5orthwest tip of the island, this is
the camp closest to the islandFs capital, $al %ei, and
therefore under a huge amount of pressure from
poachers&
6isited fre#uently during the day !y tourists who
come to see the impressive wreck located at the
!each and swim in the !eautiful water it is also
fre#uented !y night !y locals who !ring tourists to
see the nesting turtles&
The Turtle FoundationKs work on this !each started
in 20D0, and focuses not only on protection, !ut also
on the development of environmental education,
community participation and ecotourism& The camp
is located in the main entrance of this !each to
accommodate soldiers and volunteers& The main
!each is protected regularly, while the near!y
!eaches of Lgua 1oce and <onta do $ol are
patrolled fre#uently depending on the amount of
volunteers availa!le&
G/ BOA ESPERANFA BEACH
Length" 2&G Im
0verage walking time" 2 minutes +each way,
Type and Location of camp" Beach 'amp on west
access
to the !each
5um!er of nests per season" 203 00
Par!&,&%a'! Pro&l#E
7nterest in participating in outreach and educational activities, giving information to
visitors, occasionally leading night tours, and participate in !asic research& =ust !e
comforta!le living for at least 2 weeks in a very remote area in a self3catering camp
setting with no sanitation and limited water supply& /n days off participants have the
possi!ility to walk to town in small groups +walling alone is nor permitted for security
reasons,&=edium level of fitness needed&
C9 COMMUNIT: STA: FUNDO DAS FIGUEIRAS
Fundo das Figueiras is a small village located
on the north3east of Boavista at an ideal
distance from two of our main protected
!eaches" 5orte and 'anto& These !eaches
have !een protected since 200G, with very
positive results& 0 small num!er of volunteers
and soldiers will !e !ased in this village
during the day, and will !e driven each night
after dinner to the !eaches, where they will
spend the night& 0ll meals are served in the
village& $tays will !e arranged either with local
families, or in a communitarian !uilding, !ut
will give participants the uni#ue opportunity
to e9perience local living and lifestyle and interact more with the locals& The two !eaches
are very different from each other, contrasting !etween short sandy !each +'anto, and
e9tremely dramatic landscape and difficult terrain in 5orte&
4/ NORTE BEACH
Length" &DIm
0verage walking time" Dh2 minutes +each way,
Type and Location of the camp" Base in Fundo das
Figueiras& $helter tent for night stays at )ast
access point&
5um!er of nests per season" >00300
5/ CANTO BEACH
Length" 2&D Im
0verage walking time" > minutes +each way,
Type and Location of camp" Base in Fundo das Figueiras& $helter tent for night stays at
the south access point near lagoon
5um!er of nests per season" D80300
Par!&,&%a'! Pro&l#E
7nterested in living in a village setting, Im away from the !each& <articipants live in the
village of Fundo das Figueiras during the day and interact more with locals& +/nly very
few volunteers are located here at a time, The nights are spent at the !each& 0ccess to
amenities such as !ars, restaurants and small shops, as well as sanitation availa!le& Likes
to learn a!out local culture and interact with locals& Little interest in research&
0dventurous, enjoys challenging hikes in dramatic landscapes& =ust have a good level of
fitness&
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
=HEN TO COME
57J:T <0T%/L$" $tart around ;une D
th
and may last until /cto!er D
th
& 0dditional work
after this time will resume to morning surveys, nest e9humations and hatchling releases,
and other activities organi@ed in the communities&
5)$T75J" Turtles are recorded from early ;une and the peak nesting season runs from mid
;uly to mid $eptem!er& 0fter this time the num!er of nesting females starts to decrease&
:0T':L75J$" :atchlings start emerging in mid 0ugust, most nests will hatch from late
$eptem!er towards 5ovem!er&
%075 $)0$/5" :eavy rainfalls over the period of a few days are usually to e9pect
!etween $eptem!er and /cto!er& 0fter the rainfalls mos#uitoes are a!undant on the
!eaches& The good news" This is also the peak hatching period&
HO= MUCH TO PA:
Living costs are covered !y a participation fee charged to the participants +please see !o9
for details,&
0irfare, travel.medical insurance and personal e9penses 0%) 5/T included in the costs& 7t
is mandatory for you to take out travel.medical insurance that will cover any medical
e9penses during your time in Boavista, for the duration of your stay& +/nce accepted,
participants will !e asked to provide Turtle Foundation with travel and medical insurancesF
company name.s and policy num!er.s,&
Food and accommodation is provided during the time at the project sites only& <ersonal
e9penses incurred during volunteerFs free time are not covered !y Turtle Foundation
+days off, hotel stays, meals or snacks in town, etc&,& )9pect similar prices to )uropean
cities&
CONTRIBUTION FEES TO=ARDS LIVING COSTS
<roject site logistics are comple9 due to the remoteness of the sites and high living
cost in Boavista& <roject funds are limited and cover costs associated to local salaries,
military presence and e9tremely high running costs& Therefore we rely on volunteers to
contri!ute towards their participation costs& These fees cover > daily meals, drinking
water, accommodation +shared campsite.house,, airport pick3up and travel to project
site, in3country support&
CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS
7nitial payment of M 222 +2 weeks, N MD4 for each additional day& From the fifth week
of stay on the daily fee will !e reduced to MD2 per day& 0dditionally, there is an
administration and visa fee of M 0 to pay& This includes the arrangement of a visa for
the volunteer stay& PLEASE READ THE SECTION HVISASI FOR MORE DETAILLED
INFORMATION;
CONSERVATION INTERNS
7nitial payment of M40 +8 weeks- MD0.day,& 'ontri!ution will !e further reduced after
this period to M8 for each additional day& 0dditionally, there is an administration and
visa fee of M 0 to pay& This includes the arrangement of a visa for the volunteer stay&
PLEASE READ THE SECTION HVISASI FOR MORE DETAILLED INFORMATION;
RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
Turtle Foundation will incur with the costs towards food and accommodation during
your time in the project, and transportation to and from project sites once on the
island& This is a volunteer3 respectively unpaid position Transport to 'ape 6erde must
!e organised and paid individually& 7t is mandatory for you to take out travel and
medical insurance for the duration of the project& /n free days research assistants
cover their own e9penses& 0dditionally, there is an administration and visa fee of M 0
to pay& This includes the arrangement of a visa for the volunteer stay& PLEASE READ
THE SECTION HVISASI FOR MORE DETAILLED INFORMATION;
CAMP COORDINATORS
Turtle Foundation will incur with the costs towards food and accommodation during
your time in the project, and transportation to and from project sites once on the
island& This is a volunteer3 respectively unpaid position& 0 stipend of M20.month will
!e offered& Travel costs for on return flight to Boavista will !e reim!ursed up to M00& 7t
is mandatory for you to take out travel and medical insurance for the duration of the
project& /n free days camp coordinators cover their own e9penses&
All F##$ +)$! .# %a&* )%o' arr&3al !o Boa3&$!a5 &' EUROS/ T"# &'&!&al
%a(+#'!$ ar# 'o'@r#)'*a.l#/
VACCINATIONS
5o specific vaccinations are re#uired to travel to 'ape 6erde& 7t is always recommenda!le
to have all standard vaccinations of your home country up to date&
VISAS
The visa service for our participants is included in the once3only payment of the
administration and visa fees of M 0& This means that we will pre3arrange a visa for your
stay and send you the necessary papers to present when entering the country& PLEASE
NOTE !"a! -# ,a' o'l( %r#@arra'1# a 3&$a -"#' (o)r l&1"! arr&3#$ &' Ca%#
V#r*# .( Boa3&$!a &r$!;+<articipants who travel to Boavista via <raia.$antiago, $ao
6icente or any other 'aperdian destination have to arrange their visa themselves& 7n this
case our administration fee will !e reduced to M 2,&
FLIGHTS
Below are $/=) of the airlines that fly to Boavista from )urope& <lease check on airlines
we!site as new airports and timeta!les might have !een added&
'ountry 'ity of
1eparture
Travel 1ay 0irline 'ompany 'ontact
Belgium Brussels Bednesday
$aturday
;)T07%FLE www&jetairfly&com
France <aris '1J Bednesday 07%
=)17T)%%05))
www&air3mediterrannee&fr
<aris /rly $ud Thursday T%05$0670 www&transavia&com
Jermany Frankfurt
:am!urg
:annover
'ologne.Bonn
=unich
$tuttgart
Bednesday
Tuesday
=onday
Tuesday
Friday
Thursday
T87FLE www&tuifly&de
7taly Bologna
=ilano
%ome
6erona
'heck
we!site
5)/$ www&neosair&it
5etherlands 0msterdam Thursday T%05$0670 www&transavia&com
<ortugal Faro
Funchal
:arta
<onta
1elgada
<orto
1aily,
e9cept
Tuesday
T0< www&flytap&com
8I Birmingham
London
Jatwick
=anchester
Bednesday
=onday.
Thursday
T:/=$/5 www&thomsomfly&com
'6 internal
Flight
)spargos, $al
<raia,
$antiago
'heck
we!site
T0'6 www&tacv&cv
NOTE FOR APPLICANTS FROM INDIA AND PAJISTANE Flights from 7ndia and
<akistan can !e arranged via one of the )uropean destinations named a!ove or for
e9ample via 1akar& Flight e9ample" =um!ai3 1akar with )mirates +from M H00, and
1akar ? Boavista with T0'6 +from M >0,& <lease remem!er that all travel e9penses
have to !e covered !y the participants&
ADDITIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION
'heck the we!site for more details on how to apply, or contact us at
volunteersOturtle3foundation&org
The successful applicants will !e notified no later than 2 -##6$ a!#r a%%l&,a!&o'& The
project staff will do their !est to attend your preferences in terms of participation periods
and project types&
There is no application deadline, however 0ugust is usually #uite popular destination !oth
for Boavista and the project, and you are advised to !ook your place and flight early&
PROTEJAMOS AS TARTARUGAS JUNTE@SE A NKS;