Speaking for the Trees and Turtles

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TortuGuiones and Costa Verdes (BarriGuiones’ parent organization) have been providing input for the new management plan under revision for the Ostional Wildlife Refuge. They teamed up with the Nosara Civic Association and Bandera Azul Nosara in a Biological Corridor Committee to submit a formal letter providing comments and suggestions for consideration. This letter includes new data, made available by TortuGuiones and Costas Verdes, that should be taken into consideration in the management plan. Specifically, the letter points out the need to include the coastal forest as a focal element within the management plan to ensure that this important habitat is protected. Click here to view letter (PDF).

During October, BarriGuiones focused on mulching the trees with wood chips, adding special fertilizer to the smaller trees to boost their growth before the dry season, and clearing the area around each tree to remove or prevent weeds and creeping vines.

A group of 17 industrial engineering students from the Universidad de Costa Rica came for a couple of days to volunteer as part of their environmental engineering course.

In the nursery, Icaco (Chrysobalanus icaco) seeds are being sprouted for the first time in the project’s history and will be planted on Guiones Beach at the beginning of next year’s rainy season. Icaco is a native coastal species with an delicious edible fruit. Buen provecho!

BarriGuiones’ plans for November include another group activity in the middle of the month, and continuing to chop weeds and mulch all the trees.

www.costasverdes.org
www.rally.org/reforestguiones

TortuGuiones has teamed up with Hot Tamale to help keep trash off our beaches. Half of the sales of TortuGuiones merchandise at the Hot Tamale and Cazar will go towards paying for trash bagging and station maintenance at the main beach entrance. (Do you know that NCA pays for trash pickup at all three Guiones beach entrances?)

Reports of hatchlings, nesting sea turtles, and sea turtle tracks continue to come in from Playa Guiones and Pelada. The photo below is of a sea turtle nesting at sunset on Playa Guiones on October 23. Please keep reporting by clicking on http://www.tortuguiones.org/ and filling out a report. You can also post and share photos and videos on our Facebook page. Thank you!

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