CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
¡Bienvenidos a Caño Palma Biological Station!
Thank you for considering Caño Palma Biological Station (CPBS) as a site for your students’
fieldwork. The Station’s property and surrounding region offer a wealth of natural resources and
we consider it a privilege to be able to share them with you.
Visiting student groups and interns can choose to pursue their own research and programming
while here at CPBS, or they can opt to participate in the long-term projects which are currently
in progress, the goal of which is to collect baseline data on resident and migratory species.
Please take some time to read through the following information to determine what fits your
needs the best. It is highly beneficial to all study groups to be well informed in advance of the
trip so as to avoid any possible mistakes in the process. Thank you for your attention.
Independent Research
If your group is planning on running their own research, you will need to start planning well in
advance and discussing the plans with our Research Team.
Dr. Kym Snarr, Director of Conservation and Research (conservation@coterc.org)
Mr. Aidan Hulatt, Research Coordinator (forestconservation@coterc.org)
Requirements
1. A detailed project proposal to submit to MINAET (Ministry for the Environment in Costa
Rica), for research permits.
- Once all of the information has been submitted, it can take 2 or more months to get
approval from MINAET.
2. Any research which requires the removal of samples will also require export and import
permits.
- This can lengthen the process of obtaining permits and should be planned for.
3. A detailed discussion will occur including:
- equipment and logistics
- transportation
- need for in-field assistance from Station staff, a local guide or use of our equipment. - -- We need to consider any scheduling changes that might require, so that we can
coordinate all projects and personnel accordingly.
* If you are bringing a group totaling 15 or more during turtle nesting season (March to October),
we require that 1/3 of the group be available on a daily basis to assist with the marine turtle
project. We have a limited number of beds on base and need to ensure that we have adequate
coverage of the beach to reduce poaching. Scheduling of night or morning turtle census will aim
to balance your course’s needs with the needs of the turtle project.
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001
CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
Group Supervisors are responsible for the conduct of their group while at CPBS.
CPBS staff reserves the right to remove all or part of the group if group members do
not follow station rules, or if there is any behaviour that violates Costa Rican law.
Participation in Established Monitoring Programs
Cano Palma Biological Station coordinates data collecting and observation surveys around a
fixed schedule, to enable consistency and ease of planning. Our current schedule is as follows:
5:00
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Morning Census
Morning Census
Morning Census
Morning Census
Morning Census
Morning Census
Morning Census
Shorebird Survey
Bird Banding
(CPBS)
Bird Banding
(off-site)
Mammals (5:30)
Mammals (5:30)
6:00
7:00
8:00
Environmental
Education
9:00
10:00
Lunch (11:30)
11:00
Environmental
Education
12:00
13:00
14:00
Mammals (14:30)
Mammals (14:30)
15:00
16:00
Dinner (17:30)
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00






Caiman Census
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
PM Patrol(s)
The turtle surveys run from March-October 31st (Green sea turtle peak period)
Environmental Education is run either mornings or afternoons on alternate weeks at the
local school
Mammal surveys run either mornings or afternoons on alternate weeks and are
scheduled to not overlap with environmental education.
Plant phenology studies are run for two days, once per month
Bird banding is run twice a week, weather permitting
Shore-bird monitoring is run a minimum of once per week
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001
CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
Projects at Cano Palma Biological Station
We have created the following information about our projects and facilities, in order to help you
select the students who will gain the most from their experience at CPBS. The fieldwork is
generally hard physical work and participants need to be physically capable of performing the
tasks. In addition, a great attitude and energy are valuable attributes for a participant to have.
Regular Monitoring Projects
Except for bird-banding, all surveys are done regardless of the weather. While out surveying,
participants need to be able to cope with the physical demands, humidity and mosquitos, whilst
focusing on collecting the scientific data.

Turtle Morning census
Need to be able to walk 7 ½ miles (12Km) on sand in the heat, with a light pack.
Depending on the number of tracks and excavations, this survey can take between 2
and 7 hours. This survey is done daily between March-October 31st
The patrol records any nesting data that was not observed the previous night, checks
whether nests have been poached, watches for hatchlings and other signs of hatched
nests and clarifies any questions that might have arisen from the night patrols. Some
mornings this team will excavate nests that have, or should have hatched, to determine
the success of the nest and causes of failure.
With minimal training all participants can contribute to data collection, nest location,
erasing tracks and the determination of nest status. Those here for longer than one
month can apply for a permit from MINAET to work as a research assistant, and receive
additional training and testing to enable them to assess the causes of nest failure during
excavations.

Turtle Night patrols
Need to be able to walk up to 10 miles (16Km) on sand at night, with a light pack. Walks
are done at a brisk pace without the use of artificial light. The survey runs from 4-8
hours, depending on the number of turtles emerging. 1 to 4 teams are sent out every
night between March and October.
The patrol records all human and turtle activity they see on the beach. When a turtle is
encountered, the team will record data on her size and health and her tag numbers. If
untagged, the team leader will tag her. The team will then observe the turtle through the
completion of the nesting process, to ensure her safe return to sea.
With a moderate degree of training all participants can contribute to data collection, nest
triangulation and assisting the patrol leaders. Those here for longer than one month can
apply for a permit from MINAET to work as a research assistant, and receive additional
training and testing to take turtle morphometric data and tag the turtles.
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001
CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
Please note that there are no Turtle Night patrols between October and February.
Morning surveys continue until all nests are excavated – sometimes through November
and early December.

Caiman census
Is generally done by motor boat and takes up to 3 hours. It is done once a week.
The survey collects baseline data on caiman distribution and abundance in the canal,
categorizing their age and recording their GPS coordinates.
With minimal training all participants can contribute to spotting the caiman, assessing
age and recording data.

Mammal survey
Need to be able to walk 2.5 miles (4Km) through jungle terrain in sometimes, very
boggy conditions. Surveys are done at a very slow pace and take between 2 and 4
hours.
The patrol records all signs of mammal activity; scat, prints, burrows etc. Tracks are
measured and recorded on GPS, with estimates made on group size where appropriate.
Recording of mammal sightings may include information about group size, age and
gender distribution and activity.
With minimal training participants can assist with recording data, measuring tracks,
taking photos and mammal observations.
Those who are here for a month or more can be trained to find some of the more
obscure signs.

Plant phenology
Need to be able to walk about 1 mile (1.6Km) through jungle terrain in sometimes, very
boggy conditions. Surveys are done at a slow pace and take approximately 4 hours. This
survey is done over a 2 day period once per month.
Patrols record percentages of the canopy that is flowering, fruiting or in new leaf. Twice
a year, (January and June) the teams measure and record tree diameter for all trees
over 10cm within a 1 hectare plot. This is done over a two day period.
With minimal training participants can contribute to all aspects of this project.

Bird banding
Need to be able to maintain a brisk pace through the 7 ½ hours from set-up to take
down. Walking quickly through often boggy jungle conditions, 15 minute net reviews are
done every ½ hour. Year round two 20 minute area searches are also done, and during
migration seasons, 5 additional 10-minute migration counts are added.
All volunteers are welcome to observe the banding process on days we band at CPBS.
With a moderate degree of training, volunteers can assist with net set-up and take down,
and data collection. With prior approval from the license holders, the CRBO (Costa
Rican Bird Observatories), those with appropriate backgrounds who are here for one
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001
CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
month or longer can apply for a permit from MINAET to work as a research assistant.
They will receive additional training in extracting birds from the nets and assessing their
physical condition.

Shorebird Monitoring
These surveys are done at a slow pace and take approximately 2 hours. Surveyors
identify and record all birds observed using the beach, tracking normal patterns and
changes in the resident and migrant birds’ use of the shore.
With minimal training volunteers can participate in all aspects of this survey, but they will
require their own binoculars to participate.

Environmental Education
While not a survey, we conduct classes on a weekly basis at the local elementary
school. As the focus of these classes is educational, participation is limited to those who
can speak Spanish with reasonable fluency. Other volunteers can be involved in the
preparation of materials to use in class, or planning the scientific content of lessons. In
order to maintain a low-distraction environment, we limit participation to 2 volunteers per
class.




Other activities:
Tortuguero Trips
Most visitors want to take a trip into the local tourist center of Tortuguero. We can
arrange group transportation, but in order to get a good deal on the pricing, this needs to
be booked at least a week in advance. If you would like to combine this with a tour into
the National Park or during turtle season, a night turtle tour, you will need to pay Park
fees and the tour price, which usually adds to $29 (USD) per person.
San Francisco Tour
We encourage all who visit us to get to know the local village of San Francisco. It is a
short canoe ride and 20 minute walk from the Station. Here the group can buy snacks or
visit a bar or soda in their spare time, providing support to local businesses. To acquaint
you with the facilities and history, we can arrange an afternoon guided walk at no cost to
the group.
Canoeing and Kayaking
We have a limited number of kayaks and canoes which are available for people to use
in their free time.
Swimming
The nearby coast of the Atlantic Ocean has dangerous currents and is too dangerous
for swimming. Some people are comfortable cooling off in the canal by the Station, but
there is often boat traffic. Across from the Station is the hotel Vista Al Mar, and for $2
(USD) volunteers can use their swimming pool.
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001
CANADIAN ORGANIZATION FOR TROPICAL
EDUCATION AND RAINFOREST CONSERVATION
Daily Life at the Station
All CPBS staff on base are involved with projects and other aspects of running the Station.
Everyone who lives on base for any period is expected to participate in the daily chores that
keep the area safe and clean, and will be scheduled into the duty roster. When we have more
than 10 people on base we hire a cook to make lunch and dinner, otherwise, this is part of the
daily task list.
If your group’s scheduling is such that you do not think they’ll have time to participate in the
cleaning, the group can opt to pay an extra $25 (USD) per day and we will hire a cleaner to take
care of the chores.
Planning Schedule for Your Visit to CPBS
General Requirements
Group size (min/max)
Project Proposals
Confirmation of group size
A proposed project schedule
Electronic payment with email
confirmation
Completion of a MOU
3 months before 1 month before
x
x
2 weeks before
Prior to arrival
On arrival
x
x
x
x
Electronic copies volunteer
forms
x
x
x
A list of additional activities you
would like scheduled
Confirmation of the group's
arrival and travel arrangements
Signed hard-copies of
emergency contacts, medical
information and liability waivers
x
x
x
A photocopy of passports
Cash payment if electronic
payment has not been made
Deliverables as agreed on in the
MOU
Requirements for
Research Assistant
passports
A copy of your resume
A photocopy of your
passport
2 Passport style photos
(jpeg)
$30 fee for MINAET, or proof
of payment
Prior to Departure
x
3 months before 1 month before
2 weeks before
Prior to arrival
On arrival
Prior to Departure
x
x
x
x
CPBS is owned and operated by the Canadian Organization for Tropical Education and
Rainforest Conservation (COTERC). This charitable organization raises funding and awareness
to support CPBS and the conservation efforts that it establishes. For more information on
COTERC please visit us at www.coterc.org.
P.O. Box 335 • Pickering, Ontario • L1V 2R6 Tel: (905) 831-8809 Fax: 905-831-4203 Email: info@coterc.org • Charitable Number 890096183 RR001