Photo by: Alvaro Cubero
Donate Today and Help Save Every Egg
How you can help save every single egg.
$25
Start the journey! Help a sea turtle hatchling safely reach the sea.
$100
Save an entire sea turtle nest.
$500
Provide materials and maintenance for the sea turtle hatchery.
$50
Protect an agami heron chick.
$250
Support agami heron monitoring efforts for three months.
$1,000
Support five volunteer research assistants for one month.
Through the protected status of the land, the volunteers and researchers at Pacuare Reserve contribute to the important conservation of two iconic species: the leatherback sea turtle and the agami heron.
How EPI is Protecting Leatherback Sea Turtles
Each night from March to October, Pacuare Reserve’s research assistants conduct censuses on leatherback sea turtles along 6 kilometers of beach searching for nesting females. Pacuare Research assistants collect biometric data on the female turtles and protect their nests from illegal harvesting and beach erosion. Once the adult turtle has returned to sea, the research assistants journey back to the beginning of the beach – another 6 kilometers – to the “Vivero” or the hatchery. In 2021, an IMPRESSIVE 46,000 kilometers (or 28,583 miles) were walked by research assistants and volunteers to find and safeguard more than 53,000 53,000 baby sea turtle eggs!
Around 65 days later, these eggs hatch, bringing forth the next generation of leatherback sea turtles. After gathering weight and shell length measurements, the research assistants guide the tiny sea turtles out to the ocean, where only 1 in 1,000 sea turtles make it to adulthood. These odds mean every egg matters to the survival of the leatherback sea turtles.
How EPI is Protecting Agami Herons
The agami heron (Agamia agami) is a beautiful, elegant, and elusive bird that lives only on the American continent, from southern Mexico to Brazil. Historically, the agami heron once nested throughout their range, but recent studies indicate that this has changed. Presently, Pacuare Reserve is home to the only known nesting colony between Mexico and Colombia. These visually stunning birds migrate incredibly long distances to lay their eggs in the quiet protection of the Reserve.
Each year, Pacuare Reserve has observed about 80 to 130 nests. With each bird laying about 1-2 eggs each year, this means that there can be up to 260 chicks growing up at Pacuare Reserve! To preserve this quiet isolation, researchers communicate in whispers and with a mesh bird blind.
The agami heron research at Pacuare Reserve focuses on the abundance, the densities, and the reproduction cycles of the species. Pacuare Reserve researchers work hard and long hours to gain a stronger understanding of this beautiful bird and preserve the survival of the species, egg by egg!