Celebrating 35 Years of Conservation and Education at Pacuare Reserve

“I remember being bowled over by our arrival by boat to the Reserve and seeing the cranes and monkeys along the way – it was magical”, says Catherine Palmer, who visited the Pacuare Reserve with her family in March 2011, a place transformed by the efforts of her uncle, John Denham, the founder of this conservation site.

“We were in awe of what John had done over the preceding years since buying a barren stretch of coastline and building it up to be a safe haven for the nesting turtles,” Catherine comments. Her visit not only strengthened her personal connection to the place but also inspired her involvement in fundraising activities for the reserve. "We held a fund-raising quiz night in London for about 60 people who all learned about the reserve – and the leatherbacks."

Catherine's testimony is just one of thousands reflecting the impact Pacuare Reserve has had over 35 years of dedication to conservation.

History and Achievements of Pacuare Reserve

In September 1989, Pacuare Reserve began its journey toward conservation when Englishman John Denham founded the nonprofit organization “The Endangered Wildlife Trust” (EWT) to acquire 6,886 hectares of land on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. This area, then divided into six properties and mainly used for cattle ranching and coconut cultivation, faced serious problems with turtle egg poaching and human pressure.

"There's something very moving about seeing a turtle coming up a beach slowly, digging its nest and laying its eggs there. And then this magic is shattered when you see the poachers just ready to take it. And that was happening all over, all over, completely uncontrolled,” John Denham recounted in an interview with National Geographic after being named, along with his wife Hilda, as “Sustainable Travelers of the Year” in 2013.

“And then I found by chance, pure chance, this wonderful area of forest. Well, it had been forest, it was a wreck, but with four miles of the very prime leatherback turtle beach. So I bought it, and it just seemed the logical thing to do. And that's the way it started,” the founder explained.

The 6-kilometer beach of the Reserve soon proved to be a crucial point for the nesting of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), as well as the green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata). Data on the turtles began to be collected in 1991, and from 1994, the Reserve received expert advice on the management of leatherback populations.

“In 1995, I think we really turned the corner. And we got on top of it. And after that, the poachers were sort of on the run,” Denham added.

In 2000, the Reserve added a marine turtle biologist to the team, strengthening its conservation program. From 2004, the Reserve was established as a biological station with a comprehensive focus on research and conservation. Currently, the Reserve has four key monitoring programs:

• Marine Turtle Conservation and Research Program: This program focuses on the protection and study of the marine turtles that nest on the Reserve's beach, especially the leatherback turtle.

• Feline and Prey Monitoring Program: This program focuses on the study of felines like jaguars and their prey through camera traps, contributing to the understanding of the dynamics of these important predator populations.

• Monkey Population Ethology Program: This program investigates the behavior and ecology of monkey populations in the Reserve.

• Agami Heron Nesting Colony Monitoring Program: This program monitors one of the most important nesting colonies of the agami heron in Latin America, the only known nesting site between southern Mexico and northern Colombia.

The 4 species we monitor: sea turtles, agami heron, monkeys and felines. Photos by: Batsú Estudio, Juan José Pucci, Isabel Troyo and Erin Schmidt.

Over the past 35 years, the Reserve has managed to reduce the illegal collection of nests from an alarming 98% in 1989 to 0% in 2023. In addition, more than 23,000 female turtles have been tagged, over 21,000 nests and 1.8 million eggs saved, and more than 750,000 hatchlings released into the sea. The Reserve receives an average of 548 leatherback turtle nests annually, making it the fifth most important nesting beach for this species worldwide.

For Hayi Valverde, Beach Coordinator of the Pacuare Reserve (who coordinates the marine turtle monitoring work): “The impact has been very positive. Turtle conservation has advanced; we are more professional in data collection, and we have improved the success of nest hatching.”

“It was a beach that had more poaching. There were more poachers, it was more difficult. Today, poaching has been greatly reduced; last year, it was zero percent. So it was a challenge to walk the beach with people who were poaching the eggs; today, the beach is super calm thanks to all the efforts the Reserve has made for many years,” says Valverde, who has worked at the Reserve for 19 years.

Hayi Valverde, Beach Coordinator of Pacuare Reserve, have been working here for 19 years.

For her part, Eylen Zúñiga, the Reserve Manager, considers this “a mature project".

“We survived the pandemic, where unfortunately many other projects could not get through this difficult time, and during the pandemic, we were able to maintain the monitoring, highlighting the work of the staff who were committed to continuing to collect data, continue monitoring, continue guarding so as not to let the monitoring, research, and protection of the place fall”, she explains.

Pacuare Reserve and Ecology Project International (EPI): A Synergy for Conservation and Environmental Education

The history of the Pacuare Reserve is deeply intertwined with that of Ecology Project International (EPI). In 2000, EPI, an NGO dedicated to environmental education, brought its first group of high school students to the Reserve, marking the beginning of a collaboration that has endured.

According to Miguel Fuentes, Executive Director of EPI, “The history of EPI begins with Pacuare. The reserve has been our main partner in Costa Rica for conservation and research.”

A group of EPI's visiting students in a sea turtle census.

For Eylen, “EPI's mission is to inspire young people to take an active role in conservation processes through science. EPI turns 25 next year, so Pacuare Reserve was our first learning classroom for these young people. It was the first place they came to work alongside research assistants and researchers on the beach, watching the turtles nest. So Pacuare Reserve is the place where magic happens, where these kids get inspired and learn about conservation processes and why these species are important in the ecosystem.”

In 2016, John Denham entrusted the management of the Reserve to EPI, consolidating an alliance that has expanded EPI’s mission and brought the local community closer to the Reserve. This collaboration has not only allowed for good area management but also greater involvement of local producers and suppliers, thus strengthening the community fabric around conservation.

“The Reserve has contributed greatly to expanding EPI’s mission. Initially, it was an organization for conservation education and promoting scientific education among young people; now, it is also an organization that conducts direct conservation. It has really expanded EPI’s mission; it has come to expand EPI’s heart and work,” comments Miguel Fuentes.

“We feel very honored and very grateful to the Denham family,” Eylen Zúñiga adds. “We knew it was a huge responsibility because this transition for EPI meant taking on new hats. One was conservation, which we were now going to do directly in a place with an important biological corridor for the movement of species like the jaguar and the puma. We have a nesting lagoon for a heron considered the most beautiful in the world, which was a big responsibility. Additionally, a nesting beach, that we need to keep clean, safe, monitored so that turtles can come and nest and fulfill their reproductive process. So it was an honor but also a great responsibility.”

Personal Significance of Pacuare Reserve

Ana Beatriz Hernández, who first visited the Reserve in 2003 as an EPI student and later visited many more times as an EPI instructor, highlighted the personal and professional importance of the reserve in her life, mentioning that: “Visiting Pacuare Reserve for the first time when I was 14 was a defining moment in my life. It was my first real contact with field science and conservation. Returning to work here after all these years has been like completing a cycle, returning to the place that inspired me and continues to be a constant source of motivation and inspiration.”

Ana Beatriz Hernández working as an instructor in the Pacuare Reserve's Sustainability Leaders program with local schools.

Similarly, Hayi Valverde, Beach Coordinator of the Pacuare Reserve, shares a deep personal bond with the Reserve: “For me, it is part of my life. It has been 19 years here, and the Reserve has been my home for a long time. It is a place I carry deep in my heart. Seeing the positive impact and how the forest has regenerated is a source of great pride and personal satisfaction.”

John Denham described his emotional connection to the place in 2013: “Seeing how nature has returned and how the forest has revitalized has been extremely gratifying. The reserve has gone from being a place of poaching to an oasis of biodiversity. The satisfaction of having made a tangible difference in sea turtle conservation and forest regeneration is immense.”

In 2013, funders John and Hilda Dehnam were named Sustainable Travelers of the Year by the National Geographical Society.

And the experience at the Reserve has touched the lives of countless visitors. An example is Corina Geng, who believes that “If you decide to make a trip to Pacuare Reserve, you choose to live a very special experience. You live here with the Reserve staff and other guests, which makes it special; however, you are in the middle of the Reserve action. So we were also very lucky to be able to accompany two baby turtles to the sea on two occasions and live the entire protection program process up close.”

How Can You Support Pacuare Reserve?

Pacuare Reserve depends on the support of individuals and organizations that share its mission of conservation and education. Some ways to contribute include:

• Donations: Financial contributions help sustain research, conservation, and education programs. You can donate here.

• Volunteering: Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in field activities, contributing directly to conservation efforts. All info about volunteering here.

• Ecotourism: Visiting the reserve as an ecotourist offers an enriching experience and helps support the local community and conservation programs. Learn how to visit us here.

For 35 years, Pacuare Reserve has been a beacon of hope and a symbol of what can be achieved when passion and dedication unite for a common goal. Its impact on turtle conservation and environmental education has been profound and lasting. As it celebrates this significant milestone, the Reserve invites you to join its journey and be part of its conservation mission. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that future generations continue to marvel at the beauty and diversity of Pacuare Reserve.