Illegally collected eggs confiscated by police in Berau

An update from Dr. Hiltrud Cordes and Dr. Thomas Reischig of Turtle Foundation, currently in Berau:

Greetings from Berau!

Here comes an interesting story:

Yesterday we were informed, that the police confiscated a big amount of turtle eggs and handed it over to the KSDA (nature conservancy department).

We went to the KSDA-office to find out more. It is a big amount of eggs! About 4,500!!  At about 100 eggs per nest, this would be about a week's worth of eggs from all nests laid on Balembangan and Sambit together. This case clearly emphazises again the urgent need to protect those two islands from egg poaching!

We decided that we will bring the eggs to Sangalaki tomorrow and give it a try with "relocation" - even though chances might be very low that any of the eggs will hatch. But you never know - maybe there are some strong survivers!

Of course we also tried to find out where the eggs come from and who brought them to Tanjung Redeb, but this turned out to be "delicate". And that mean that most probably police- or army-members are involved. We heard rumours that a member of the marine confiscated the eggs on the river from a policeman, but this is not officially confirmed. The KSDA was not given any explanation and the case will most probably not be brought to court.

At least "somebody" lost quite a lot of money, since the value of these eggs is at least 10 million rupiah.

On one of the bags which is originally a rice-bag we could identify a written note: SAMBIT. This indicates that this bag originally was sent to the island Sambit as food supply for the guards of the lighthouse there and later was used for collecting eggs from that island or the neighbouring Belambangan.

Procura-se: Coordenador de Acampamento

Perfil do candidato:

A posição do coordenador do acampamento iria servir um indivíduo ambicioso que pretende exercer uma carreira na conservação das tartarugas marinhas. O candidato trabalhará sob a supervisão directa do Coordenador do Projecto, mas deverá mas deve ser capaz de gerir o projecto com pouca supervisão. Precisará de um alto nível de energia física e mental e ser resistente e determinado. O trabalho do coordenador do acampamento traz muita responsabilidade, e o trabalho é extremamente exigente, tanto a nível físico e mental.

Deveres específicos:

O/a Coordenador de Acampamento será responsável pelo Acamapemnto de Lacacão. Detalhes específicos sobre esta vaga podem ser obtidos aqui (em Inglês APENAS):
http://turtle-foundation.org/Portals/0/Content/project%20camp%20coordinator%202012.pdf


Deveres gerais (em menor grau):

Patrulhas de praia

Patrulhas são realizadas a cada noite em horários variados e no início da manhã. As praias onde trabalhamos variam entre 3 a 5 Km. As patrulhas têm várias funções e podem durar entre 4-6 horas:

Registo da atividade de nidificação e presença de tartarugas;
Marcação de tartarugas para sua identificação, medição da carapaça e coleta de outros dados;
Registo de nascimentos, e prospeção dos ninhos
Escavações do ninho e relocalizações;
Coletar dados sobre tartarugas e eventos de nidificação;
Manutenção e preparação de equipamento.

Limpezas de Praia

Estas são feitas regularmente e envolvem escolas, comunidades, empresas locais e os hotéis na Boa Vista


Educação Ambiental e Conscientização

Produção e distribuição de sinais de conservação relacionados nas praias (atividade em andamento);
Ajudar com actividades turisticas e outros eventos organizados com escolas / comunidades


Requisitos para aplicar:

Disponível por 5 meses (1 junho - 31 outubro, começando e terminando períodos podem variar com o projeto, verificar os detalhes no site);
Qualquer nacionalidade é bem-vinda, mas terá de ser fluente em Português, e ser capaz de conversar, receber e compreender instruções em Inglês;
Experiência de trabalho com as tartarugas em praias de nidificação é preferível;
Precisa estar apto e motivado, e desfrutar de trabalhar ao ar livre;
Gosta de trabalhar em equipa e tem habilidades de liderança comprovada;
Boa condições física e de saúde;
Ser um indivíduo calmo e extremamente responsável, que resiste a vida extremamente difícil e às vezes adversas, assim como as condições de trabalho;
Deve ter até data de inicio de trabalho Certificação de Primeiros Socorros;
Ser capaz de trabalhar em áreas remotas sob condições extremamente básica (sem saneamento)
Flexibilidade para se adaptar aos horários mudando conforme necessário e capaz de se adaptar para trabalhar à noite e dormir durante o dia

Benefícios / Custos:

Salário A Turtle Foundation incorrerá com os custos para alimentação e alojamento durante o seu tempo no projeto, e transporte de e para locais do projeto, uma vez na ilha. Este trabalho é em regime de voluntariado, assim sendo é uma posição não remunerada, mas será oferecida uma pequena bolsa mensal de € 350.

Despesas de Viagem Para candidatos estrangeiros ou de outra ilha, as despesas de viagem até á Boa Vista serão reembolsadas (máximo até €600 por voos internacionais).

Outros É obrigatório ter seguro médico ou de viagem durante a duração do projeto.

Nos dias livres os coordenadores do acampamento devem cobrir suas próprias despesas.

COMO CANDIDATAR-SE

Para candidatar-se, preencha o formulário online que encontra no nosso site (ver link abaixo). As candidaturas deve ser feitas EM INGLÊS. Deverá também acrescentar ao seu curriculo uma pequena carta de motivação (máx. uma página) explicando porque está interessado neste trabalho.

Prazo: 15 de Março

LINK:
http://turtle-foundation.org/Projekte/KapverdenBoavista/VolunteerJobopportunities/CampCoordinator/tabid/320/Default.aspx

Needed: Camp Coordinator

Dear friends,

We are looking for someone to fill the position of Camp Coordinator of Lacacão Beach Camp, on Boa Vista.

Join our team!

Details about this position can be found in our website, by clicking on this link:

http://turtle-foundation.org/Projekte/KapverdenBoavista/VolunteerJobopportunities/CampCoordinator/tabid/320/Default.aspx

I'll Follow the Moon, by Stephanie Lisa Tara, children's book about a hatchling

A very sweet book about a sea turtle hatchling, in verse and beautiful drawings, written by Stephanie Lisa Tara, illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi. 

"On a quite moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of home.  Slowly, slowly with a tap, crick, crack, the baby turtle embarks upon a mysterious nighttime journey."  Gentle tender verse and enchanting illustrations carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea.  Stephanie's first book (now an international, double-medalist, bestseller) I'll Follow the Moon --comforts children with its soothing tone and melodic repetition.  A portion of the proceeds go to turtle organizations to help these wonderful creatures survive, and perhaps get them off the Endangered Species list.  Every purchase helps to save a sea turtle."

I'll Follow the Moon, on Amazon

Also, check out Stephanie's Facebook page "Save Green Sea Turtles"

Facebook, "Save Green Sea Turtles"

Meet our Boa Esperanca camp coordinator Julie Walmsley

Name: Julie Walmsley

Age: 33

Place of birth: San Fransisco, California, USA

Current residence: Boa Vista, Cape Verde & London, UK

I was born in California and me and my family moved to New Jersey when I was a year old. I lived an active life – my best friend’s parents owned a roller skating rink and we would skate every hour of the day listening to our favourite Madonna songs. I spent every summer at summer camp running wild in the natural landscapes of New Jersey.  When we moved back to Essex in England, I hated it. I only started to appreciate my British heritage in my late 20s. My accent confuses everyone, my American friends think I sound British’ while my British friends think I’m a yank through and through.

I’m a professional photographer, specializing in portraiture, fashion and product photography. I decided to freelance because I became frustrated working under people in big organizations and not having creative or artistic control.

I love the freedom and independence of finding work and building contacts.  Photography wasn’t my first choice; I studied marine biology because it was something I wanted to do from a young age. Although I did not follow that career path, I volunteer in my spare time, mainly working with sea turtles.

The first voluntary project I got involved in protected leatherback turtles in Costa Rica, and then through a friend I found out about a project called Turtle Foundation set up in Cape Verde.

I visit every season and I have been promoted to camp coordinator. Small groups of us camp out in tents for four months on Boa Esperanca, one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited.

I never heard of Cape Verde before doing the project, , but I was passionate about endangered turtles and curious to find out more about the culture.

I wish I could, but I can’t explain why Boa Vista means so much to me. The first time I visited it felt like home in a weird way. Life passes at a different speed and people’s priorities are completely different. It really appeals to me.

Around the world the oceans inhabitants are becoming endangered. We have over-fished so many species that we are at risk of them never fully recovering and Europe, Japan, China and the USA are taking more than their fair share. Commercial fishing is one of the main culprits for the numbers of sea turtle crashing by 90% over the last two decades! On top of this turtle meat and eggs are eaten as a delicacy in Cape Verde and other parts of the world. The Turtle Foundation was set up to protect turtles from poachers and raise awareness about the issue.

When you are watching the turtles and protecting them during their reproductive journey, you can’t help but have the utmost respect for what they have achieved- the number of boats, nets and hooks they have avoided to lay their eggs is startling. I feel a sense of responsibility and pride in what Turtle Foundation is doing, especially when the turtles return safely to the ocean. It is one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever done!
Women have the power to be both sexy and strong.

I am Complexd because I want it all – a great career, living abroad, learning new languages and the determination to make it a reality!

See the original article in Complexd magazine at:  http://www.complexd.co.uk/2011/11/complexd-women/complexd-woman-julie-walmsley/

See Julie's photos of Boa Vista at: http://be-uncommon.blogspot.com/