Conservation Volunteers: Can anyone make a difference?

*Diogo Verissimo1, David Aneurin Jones1 and Rebeca Chaverri1

1
Global Vision International, Apartado Postal 78-7209, Cariari de Pococí, Limón.
70205 Costa Rica. E-mail: costarica@gvi.co.uk

Presented to the International Congress for Conservation Biology. 23rd Annual

Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology, China 2009.

The use of volunteers in scientific study is becoming increasingly common, particularly

in developing countries where the economic burden is often greatest. However, it has
been argued that volunteer use implies great logistic needs for recruitment, training
and management, which exponentially increase costs. Most importantly, detractors
argue that data collected by volunteers is not reliable for use in a conservation or
management context.

In this study, we use data on marine turtle nest fate collected on Playa Norte, Costa
Rica as a case study to refute these assumptions. The programme relies on paying
volunteers to conduct the majority of the work and their fees in turn cover all running
costs such as equipment, field staff, food and lodging. The volunteers are not subject
to a selection process but instead are trained and tested upon arrival. Trained
volunteers led by field staff then conduct the surveys.

We analysed the poaching rates on Playa Norte from 2006 to 2008 and compared
them to the rates found to the immediate north and on the neighbouring Playa
Tortuguero, south of the study area, to establish the programme’s impact. Poaching
rates are shown to be 17% lower than the unpatrolled northern sector and vary in
opposition to Playa Tortuguero, with a year-on-year decrease of poaching on Playa
Norte, resulting in a 35% decline over the three years.
The programme success demonstrates the contribution a non-specialist volunteer
workforce can make in conservation.

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