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National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Final Programmatic Report

Project Name and Number: Paria Peninsula: Sea Turtle Research and

Conservation (2005-0008-011)

Recipient Organization/Agency: WIDECAST (for CICTMAR, Caracas)

1) Summary

In four to five sentences, provide a brief, cumulative summary of the project.

The project will assess the female population and diminish the egg poaching and killing

of females. Awareness and preliminary community-based activities will be conducted.

2) Introduction

Describe the original conservation need and objectives. The project is made in the two most important leatherback nesting beaches in the Venezuelan mainland, Cipara (initiated in 1999) and Querepare (initiated in 2002) Beaches (62º42’W, 10º45'N, and 62º52’W, 10º42’N, respectively), in the Sucre State (Arismendy Municipality), northeastern Venezuela. The project is developed in a state socio-educative and economically depressed in the country, which makes particularly more difficult to achieve the conservation goals, because of the low educational and income level of the inhabitants. These problems yield high levels of egg poaching killing of nesting females and killing of any turtle entangled in the gill nets, even the smaller ones. To date the project has tagged nearly 300 gravid leatherbacks, protected over 500 nests, and released more than 30,000 leatherback hatchlings, as well as several hundred hatchlings of three other endangered sea turtle species: loggerhead, hawksbill and green turtles. Importantly, we have now confirmed that egg-laden leatherbacks exchange nesting localities during the nesting season in the Peninsula de Paria, the Isla de Margarita (Venezuela), and Trinidad! This has highlighted the necessity of maintaining networks of collaborators among range states that can exchange information on these important findings.

There have been many other significant results, besides biological data collection, from the research conducted at the sea turtle camps at Cipara and Querepare Beaches. Being the only project with personnel in the beach during almost 6 months during the nesting season, the effort has reduced significantly egg poaching and clearly promoted environmental awareness among local inhabitants who participate closely with the project and in adjacent beaches. In addition, several local assistants have been trained and work in the project. Over 30 volunteers have participated along the six years of project development. Conservation lectures and educational materials have been provided since 1999 in eight coastal towns of the peninsula and to the governmental representatives and an special exhibition about sea turtles was held in 2004. Beside the training of volunteers mainly from the environmental sciences careers,

several participants have made their thesis in the project. To date three Biology thesis

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have been presented and two more are under writing from one undergraduate student of

Venezuela and one graduate student from Duke University.

Scientific and conservation efforts are highly valuable, but at the bottom we are truly

interested in to find a link between the turtles and local inhabitants, in order that the last

ones may feel that the presence of the endangered reptiles is valuable for them. By that

reason we have been implementing slowly, depending of resources available, training

activities in the community and lobbying at different governmental sectors (tourism,

environment, others) moving toward activities which may create income to the

inhabitants from Cipara and Querepare Beaches based in sea turtles (handicrafts, and

tour guiding mainly).

3) Methods

Describe all activities and methods. Give a yearly breakdown if this is a multi-year grant.

The project period in the northern Peninsula of Paria runs between April and September

annually; but if funding is available, we hope to begin at end of March 2005. Standard

data forms and survey protocol are used for the sea turtle monitoring. Research

Coordinators will train the volunteer research assistants and local assistants from the

two beaches will continue involved in the project.

Turtles will be flipper-tagged (with metallic tags and microchips) and measured, and

identifying characteristics noted. Patrols will document the number of carcasses, and

cause of death if possible. Hatcheries to protect the nests will be established in Cipara

and Querepare. A “License for Scientific Hunting”, of the Ministry of the Environment and

Natural Resources will be obtained. A Policy Procedures Manual must be completed

during 2005 nesting season.

The logistics involved include transportation along a difficult road (3 hr from Rio Caribe)

and boat transportation (10 minutes) or walking (1 hr) to Cipara. To arrive to Querepare

(1.15 hr from Rio Caribe), a further half-hour walk is needed. Living conditions are rustic.

We rent houses in the communities of Cipara and Querepare; power and water supplies

are limited. Duties of the field staff include the research and conservation activities,

training of volunteers, night patrols of the nesting beach, tagging and documenting

nesting females, relocating doomed eggs, safeguarding the hatchery, releasing

hatchlings, cleaning and maintaining equipment, domestic duties (e.g. cooking, cleaning,

gathering river water, shopping), data collection and analysis, public outreach, school

lectures, media interaction, community relations.

For 2005 it is planned to enforce the environmental education activities in the Municipality of Arismendi area, beginning with actions by June 2005 and continuing until March 2006. These activities will include recreational activities with children, training activities (workshops) with teachers and drafting of recommendations to include the topic of conservation of sea turtle and their habitats in the official program of basic education (1st to 9th degrees) what is a goal of interest of the municipality authorities.

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Regarding the qualifications of CICTMAR, this is a young organization, but since its creation in 2001 it has been recognized for making several key contributions to sea turtle research and conservation efforts in Venezuela and throughout the Caribbean (especially Latin American) region. These include:

Strengthening national, as well as regional, sea turtle networks including GTTM (Marine Turtle Working Group of Venezuela), WIDECAST, and the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) in order to ensure the application of science in policy-making, as well as to inform the public debate on biodiversity conservation.

Providing opportunities for the academic training of graduate students, technicians, professors, policy-makers and interested citizens; through an annual Course on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, as well as specialized workshops on standard field techniques, and data management.

Enhancing in-country and regional awareness about international instruments related to sea turtle conservation; specifically, CITES, the SPAW Protocol, and the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of the Sea Turtles.

Creating and distributing materials to inform the public, both coastal/rural and urban, about the dire situation characterizing sea turtles in the country.

Implementing, or advocating for the implementation of, key recommendations of the Sea Turtle Recovery Action Plan for Venezuela.

It must be remarked that the project leader is involved in the sea turtle conservation in Venezuela since end of the eighties, being the Venezuelan Country Coordinator for WIDECAST and member of the MTSG/SSC/IUCN. On other hand, CICTMAR receives the full support and co-operation of WIDECAST.

4) Results

a) Outputs

i) Using the logic framework model presented with your application (Fig. 1),

enter in actual values of short-term outputs. Enter in any additional

indicators not included in the full proposal used in the analysis. If your

application did not include the logic framework, describe project outputs, any

realized post-project outcomes and quantify the results using indicators and

baselines.

ii) Attach any supplemental graphs, maps, photos and other types of analytical

output for the project evaluation.

iii) Identify and briefly explain discrepancies between what actually happened

compared to what was predicted to happen in the grant proposal using

information presented above.

Fig. 1: Logic framework table with indicators. For additional guidance and examples,

see http://www.nfwf.org/evaluation/ .

Activities Short-

Term

Outputs

Long-

Term

Outcomes

Indicator Baseline

Value

Predicted

Value of

Project

Actual Value

of Project

Output

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Output Leatherback

turtle female tagging and

protection

Estimation

of population

and

protection of females

Increased sea

turtle population

At least

100-120 leatherback

turtles

tagged

50-100

females per year

100-120 females

tagged

2005: 90 tagged

females, no poaching at Cipara

and a low level at

Querepare 2006: 127 tagged

females, no

poaching of nest at Querepare and

poaching of 1-2

nests at Cipara (Annex 1, Plate1).

These tagged

females provide a new figure of near

500 tagged

females.

Protection of the nests and

release of at

least 8,000 hatchlings

Reduced poaching

and

increasing of turtle

release

Increased sea turtle

population

Increased release of

hatchlings

At least 8,000

hatchlings

released per year

8,000 hatchlings released

2005: 5062 hatchlings

released1

2006: >12,000 hatchlings

released1

These hatchlings released females

provide a new figure of near

47,000.

One M. Sc.

thesis will be made during

2005.

Graduate

thesis presented

Publications Graduate

thesis presented in

mid 2006

One graduate

thesis

Graduate thesis

with recommendations

for the project

Scientific and

conservation recommendations

available. Two

publications in final review

Technical

report for the regional and

local

authorities.

Scientific &

conserva-tion

informa-

tion and recom-

mendations

Baseline data

and recommenda

tions

Technical

report

One

technical report

Technical report

with scientific and conservation

information and

recommendations

Scientific and

conservation recommendations

available in 2005

technical report.

One article

submitted for Chelonian

Conservation

and Biology

Disseminati

on of scientific

information

Baseline data

and recommenda

tions

One

scientific publication

published in

a peer-reviewed

journal

One

scientific publication

Technical article

with scientific and conservation

information and

recommendations

Scientific and

conservation recommendations

available for the

area and other nesting areas in

the southern

Caribbean and South American

range.

At least one poster

presentation

in the 26th Annual

Symposium

on Sea Turtle Biology and

Conservation

Dissemination of

scientific

and conservatio

n

information

Baseline data and

recommenda

tions

One poster presented

One poster presented

Poster with scientific and

conservation

information and recommendations

2006: One poster presentation based

on 2005 project

results in 26th Annual

Symposium at

Crete, Greece (see Plate 5)

2007: One poster

about 2006 results has been accepted

to present project

results in the 27th Annual

Symposium at

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Improve the

policy section of the Project

Better

execution of the field

Consolidatio

n of the project

Policy

manual accomplishe

Procedured

manual completed

Improving of the

technical and logistic project

The proposed

section has not been finished yet.

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Procedures

Manual

project procedures d procedures The project leader

got pregnant and

had not finished it.

Training of

undergraduate

s, professional

and graduate

Research Assistants

Students

and

professionals from

Venezuela

and Latin America

mainly, well

trained for the research

and

conservation work

toward sea

turtles

To build the

next

generation of sea turtle

researchers

and conservationi

sts

Number of

persons

trained

6 Research

Assistants

trained 4 Local

Assistants

involved in the project

Students and

proffesionals

contributing to the sea turtle research

and conservation

and, local people involved in the

project

2005: 8 Research

Assistants, 4 Local

Assistants 2006: 9 Research

Assistants, 7 Local

Assistants (see Plate 1).

To date the project

has trained near 50 Research

Assistants.

Training of

local

communities

Local

communitie

s receiving

training

about sea

turtles

To have

local

communities

involved and

participating

in the sea turtle project

Number of

persons

trained

Three

workshops

for local

communities

(about

handicrafts and

ecotourism)

Local

communities

contributing to the

sea turtle research

and conservation

One workshop

about sea turtles

and ecotourism

held in February

2006 in Querepare

Beach (See Annex 10). 25

participants.

Training of

docents

Docents

receiving

training about sea

turtles

To have

docents

promoting awareness

toward sea

turtles in the Arismendi

Municipality

schools

Number of

docents

trained

Two

workshops

for teachers

Docents

contributing to the

sea turtle research and conservation

One workshop

about sea turtles

for teachers held in July 2006 in

Rio Caribe (see

Annex 11). 41 participants.

Benefits for communities

Payments for lodging,

preparation

of food,

transportati

on,

handicrafts selling

People from communities

getting

income to

improve

their life

quality

Persons receiving

income

At least seven

persons

without

include

participants

in the workshops

(handicraft,

ecotourism)

Local communities

appreciating the

sea turtle project

as an important

element for local

development

2005: Eight persons receiving

income

2006: Eleven

persons receiving

income, 25

persons participating in the

ecotourism

workshop.

Public

awareness

To create

awareness in the local

communitie

s and close towns about

the

endangered status of the

sea turtles

People from

communities and adjacent

towns

getting environment

al concern

and executing

local

conservation

actions

Interviews

in media

Press

releases and videos

Workshops about sea

turtles

Available

materials

distributed and a new

poster about

illegal trade

At least

seven persons

without

include participants

in the

workshops (handicraft,

ecotourism)

Local

communities taking personal

and institutional

actions toward sea turtle conservation

2005: Two press

releases, one TV and two radio

interviews. Per-

iodic lectures to military personnel

allocated close to

nesting beaches.

2006: Four press

releases, one TV

and two radio

interviews. Peri-

odic lectures to military personnel

allocated close to

nesting beaches.

Available

materials distributed along

peninsula. Some

interviews suggested to

design better a

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poster about the

sea turtles of Paria

(Annex 12).

An interesting by-product not funded

by the project is a

book for children printed in Spain.

500 books were

donated for children of Paria

Peninsula but

funding for mailing and

customs is not

available (Annex 13). The designer

was a 2005 Re-

search Assistant.

1: Further data from the 2005 and 2006 nesting seasons are still under analysis.

b) Post-project Outcomes

i) The logic framework presented in the full proposal additionally included a

final column where predicted values of post-project outcomes were to be

provided. If your application did not include a logic framework, please

identify any medium- to long-term results that may occur after the project

ends.

ii) Describe any progress towards achieving these post-project outcomes at this

time.

We are trying to secure funding for 2007 execution. Current funding availability is

extremely low. Proposals have been submitted since 2006 and continue to be so, to raise funds to for project development and finishing of some of the pending issues (poster printing, as an example).

However, one of the main aspects where we have made significant progress is

related to the awareness and training of local communities. After conversations with the Fauna Director of the Ministry of the Environment (MINAMB), she asked us to participate together in our 2007 planned (but as yet unfunded) training workshop to prepare handicrafts, with a guest from Costa Rica and related with Asociación ANAI, which has trained dozens of handicrafters in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries. The other activity where the MINAMB has willingness to participate is the Symposium on Environmental Education and Community-Based Participation, where the guests would be project leaders from Tamar Project (Brasil) and Asociacion Anai (Costa Rica). This activity is not focused to the Paria Peninsula, it is open for participation of the different projects in the country, but this geographic area is the most important in the mainland for nesting sea turtles and then, we would organize it in the Peninsula.

iii) Will there be continued monitoring of post-project outcomes beyond the life of

this grant? Are there adequate resources (staff and funding) for continued

evaluation and monitoring? If not, briefly describe the additional resources

needed.

Yes, of course. We estimate to accomplish the pending issues in this project.

The funding resources have not been enough in 2005 and 2006 and are much less for

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the incoming 2007 nesting season (US$5,464). However, the results presented show that even with the funding constraints we have been very successful accomplishing the main part of the project expected outcomes.

iv) Describe any revisions in the indicators, methods and data that may be

needed for post-project monitoring.

None

5) Discussion & Adaptive Management

a) Lessons Learned and Transferability

i) Describe the lessons learned about effective and ineffective conservation

practices associated with this project. Which of these key lessons should be

shared with other conservation organizations?

Some indicators were over-estimated in the proposals; e,g, the workshops.

As the Project Leader was not a resident in the area, it was extremely difficult to organize the two workshops made for docents and local communities. In other hand, the local capacity is very low. We attempted to find in situ a person for the environmental education project and nobody was found, delaying the beginning of the project and project accomplishments.

In our particular situation, it was frustrating that we have a lower attendance

than expected in the workshop for local communities. We organized it in one of the nesting beaches, but the people of Querepare Beach were not present during all of the workshop, even having complete conditions to be there. At this moment, we have not the “solution” for this case, but if funding is raised for the handicrafts workshop with the Costa Rican guest, the workshop will not be made in Cipara or Querepare Beaches. We would organize it in the closest town of Rio Caribe with selected participants of the project nesting beaches and from other areas.

In addition, we would like to mention something that happened during 2006

nesting season: Killing of female turtles was not observed this year, as is usual since we

began the project. However, a nest was poached in Cipara Beach during the nesting season and when the denouncement was made, several violent attitudes began against the Local Assistant and staff members. One of the Local Assistants was beaten and, several of them were verbally offended, even a gun it was used to intimidate to the research Coordinator. By June, we consider seriously to close the Cipara Beach camp, because of the deep security concerns.

The Security Commission of the Municipality (including various military and civil representatives and the Mayor) called to a meeting in the beach in July 6th with attendance of all the local authorities, excepting the Mayor José Guerra. After this long meeting with participation of the communities of Cipara and Boca de Cumana Beaches, the peace returned to the beach and it was not necessary to have the military personnel patrolling the beach. During this difficult process,

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the Ambassador of Finland, the Chief of the EU Ambassadors in the country, called for support to the Director of Biological Diversity of the Ministry of the Environment (MINAMB), thanks to the efforts of a close collaborator in the British Embassy.

This is the first time that something of this kind has occurred at one of the beaches since the project was initiated, and it was a very hard situation for staff personnel and volunteers in the beach. Unfortunately, this is a kind of situation very common in Latin America. We considered seriously to close the project in Cipara Beach, by the safety concerns, but we received a lot of support of the Cipara Beach community and from local authorities, what showed to us how much important is to build strong relationships with local communities and authorities. If this would not have been the case, we would be telling the history of the closure of the project.

ii) To what extent did the evaluation and monitoring activities for this project

inform your organization about effective conservation practices, and what

lessons were learned from an evaluation perspective?

Much is learned every year, and we are constantly adapting the program

to address shortfalls, and build on our successes!

iii) Based on these lessons learned, what are your organization’s next steps?

To continue building strong relationships with communities though kind

behavior of the project staff and through organization of activities to create capacity within them to get more income, to be more organized in activities related with the sea turtles or other activities. To make deeper efforts toward public awareness toward any sector. Too much work in this aspect, never will be enough to create awareness and to promote changes of attitudes.

b) Dissemination

i) Describe the extent of information communicated to the general public, key

partners, other practitioners, scientific experts. Wherever possible estimate

the extent of the outreach using appropriate quantifiable indicators such as

meeting attendance, publication circulation figures etc.

The accomplishments described below are mainly from 2006:

Thesis and other by-products: 2005

The graduate thesis project of Cassandra Marichal (Duke University) was entitled, “Las tortugas marinas: Una guía educativa”. Cassy returned to Venezuela in 2005 to get the opinion of several teachers in the Paria Peninsula about the document; the book was revised based on this input and publication is pending (see Workshop for Docents).

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2006 A total of two theses were presented:

The thesis made during 2004 by the Biology undergraduate Eneida Fajardo (La Universidad del Zulia), “Evaluación del éxito reproductivo de la tortuga cardón (Dermochelys coriacea) en Querepare, Peninsula de Paria, Estado Sucre”, it was presented in January 31st, 2006 in the LUZ, Maracaibo, Zulia State. A copy it was sent to the Ministry of the Environment (now MINAMB). The publication, to be sent to CIENCIA, the scientific journal of the LUZ, is in final review.

The M.Sc thesis from Maria de los Angeles Rondon was conducted since April 2005 to January 2006. The tittle is “Evaluacion del impacto de la luz artificial sobre la anidacion de la tortuga cardon (Dermochelys coriacea) y percepcion de los conocimientos de los pobladores costeros sobre las tortugas marinas en la Peninsula de Paria, Estado Sucre, Venezuela”, and it was presented on June 26th, 2006, in the Universidad Nacional, Heredia, ICONVIS, Costa Rica. Two papers produced are in final review to submit for publications.

One of the 2005 Research Assistants, it was the art designer, Judit Gonzalez

Barcina and, she made wonderful designs (Figure 3) to prepare a book for children in her native country, Spain. The book, “Zapatilla, la Tortuga marina” received an award through an NGO (www.ecologistasenaccionorg/tienda/) and she has 500 books to send to Venezuela, but the funding related with the mailing and customs is not available to date (see Annex 13).

International scientific meetings 2005 - Thanks to a kind invitation of CAP-AZA Venezuela Group, we presented an oral summary of the sea turtle work in Venezuela in the 2005 AZA Conference, held in Chicago (13-18 September 2005). A part of the oral presentation, entitled “The research and conservation of endangered sea turtles in Venezuela: Empowering the network, investing in our future”, focused on the project in Paria Peninsula. 2006 - A poster of the results of the 2005 research and conservation project in Cipara and Querepare Beaches, it was presented at the “26th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation” in Crete, Greece, April 4th to 8th, 2006 (see Annex 9, Plate 5): Results of the 2005 nesting season of the Sea Turtle Research and Conservation Project, in the Paria Peninsula, Sucre State, Venezuela. María de los Angeles Rondón Médicci, Hedelvy J. Guada, Ohiana Revuelta Avin and Alfredo Montilla.

A second poster summarized the results of the thesis developed in 2004 in the Querepare Beach: Some reproductive aspects of the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) in Querepare Beach, Peninsula de Paria, Sucre State, Venezuela, during the 2004 nesting season. Eneida Fajardo, Jim Hernández and Hedelvy J. Guada.

In the symposium, Hedelvy Guada attended the WIDECAST Meeting (two-days), the International Sea Turtle Symposium Society Board of Director’s Meetings, and the Marine Turtle Specialist Group Meeting. Beside the support provided by the Symposium, we got support from WIDECAST and the BP Conservation Programme for travel expenses.

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After our travel to the Board of Director’s Meeting of the International Sea Turtle Society and a Meeting of the Marine Turtle Specialist Group in August 2006, in Shepherdstown and Washington D.C. respectively, we traveled to the Palm Beach Zoo. We have made previous contact with Zoo Director, Keith Lovett and he made arrangements for our lodging and visits to the zoo and other areas with sea turtle protection efforts, as Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and the Marinelife Center at Juno Beach. Mr. Lovett provide us the opportunity to talk about our projects to a very wide audience, including zoo technicians, zoo members and general public. The tittle of the presentation it was: Research and Conservation of Endangered Sea Turtles in Venezuela: Investing in our Future, Empowering the Network. This visit and the previous participation in the Chicago AZA Conference in 2005, have been very valuable to help us to focus about sustainable issues for our project.

In September, we were an special guest for the “1st Symposium on Sea Turtles of Colombia” (Riohacha, Guajira Department) and we made two oral presentations, one of them it was focused to the project in Paria: Investigación y conservación de las Tortugas Marinas en la Península de Paria, Estado Sucre.

By end September, we attended to the Consultive Committee Meeting of the

Interamerican Convention for the Protection and Conservation of the Sea Turtles (Mazatlan, Mexico), where I am a scientific representative, but no specific action regarding this project was made, beside to distribute brochures.

By mid-October to end-October we stayed in the WIDECAST office affiliated to

Duke University (Morehead City, NC) in order to work in the strategic planning of the organization.

A poster of the 2006 results of the research and conservation project in Cipara

and Querepare Beaches, was accepted to be presented at the “27th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation” in Myrtle Beach, February 2007. I have been awarded with US$450 and room to participate in the meeting.

Abstract # 2131, Subject: Conservation and management Tittle: MOVING FORWARD IN THE RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION

EFFORTS OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LEATHERBACK TURTLE NESTING BEACHES IN THE VENEZUELAN MAINLAND

Authors: Hedelvy J. Guada, Mariana Malaver, María de los Angeles Rondón Médicci, Eneida Fajardo, Adriana Jardim, and Adriana Humanes Schumann.

I Workshop on sea turtles and ecotourism in the Paria Peninsula

A total of 22 persons attended the workshop, although we were expecting at least 30 participants, since that we were distributing invitations since January 2006 in several adjacent towns.

Since 2004 it has been negotiated the organization of a workshop on this subject, having as guest to Dennis Sammy, from Nature Seekers Incorporated (NSI), Trinidad and WIDECAST Country Coordinator from that country. His career is focused on tourism administration and he is one of the main leaders of this Trinidadian NGO composed by

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local people and promoting ecotourism in leatherback turtle nesting beaches. This project is supported by the country Wildlife Section and WIDECAST. Mr. Dennis Sammy, NSI, accepted to come to Venezuela by begin 2006 and, the workshop was scheduled for February 16 to 17, in Querepare Beach.

The Workshop Organizers were CICTMAR, WIDECAST, INATURA - Alcaldía del

Municipio Arismendi (Arismendi Municipality). Logistic support was received from Carúpano Coastguard Station and Arismendi Municipality. The Workshop auspicers were CICTMAR, WIDECAST, INATURA - Alcaldía del Municipio Arismendi (Arismendi Municipality), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Brookfield Zoo-Chicago Zoological Society, Palm Beach Zoo, Santa Ana Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo, and Fundación Thomas Merle. It was made promotion through the local newspaper. The Municipality of Arismendi, through its Tourism Institute (INATURA) paid the food and preparation expenses during the workshop at the beach. The structure of the workshop is detailed below: DAY 1

Presentation of the workshop. H. Guada

Antecedents about the Peninsula de Paria Biodiversity and the tourism policy of the Arismendi Municipality. TSU, Rosina Vargas, INATURA, Arismendi Municipality

Antecedents about the sea turtles of Venezuela and the Paria Peninsula. H. Guada

Sea turtle conservation and ecotourism project in Trinidad, Dennis Sammy, Nature Seekers Incorporated.

Night “survey” of the beach (because of the nesting season had not began, although in the morning of 17th, we found the first leatherback turtle nest in the season!).

DAY 2

Sea turtle conservation project in the northern Peninsula de Paria. H. Guada, E. Cedeño, H. Benavente, J. Carlos Figuera

Discussion about possibilities of ecotourism activities in the Peninsula de Paria. H. Guada, R. Vargas, D. Sammy

It must be remarked that a strong storm in the area prevented the arrival from other towns. Only 3 persons arrived from Cipara Beach, David and Cleto Urbano, and Oswaldo Campos, what are Local Assistants of the field project. In addition, within the same Querepare Beach, some persons were not adequately informed by the local contact, Evelio Cedeño. Finally, we gathered people from 6 localities, being four of them, coastal villages of fishermen: Querepare, San Juan de Las Galdonas, Cangua and Cipara Beaches. Two local persons provided their inputs about the project, Evelio Cedeño, from Querepare Beach and Juan Carlos Figuera, from San Juan de Las Galdonas (immediately to the east of Querepare). No women participated formally and

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not all the 1st day participants, were during the complete workshop in the 2nd day, what it was not an expected situation.

The discussion was leaded by Rosina Vargas, INATURA, Dennis Sammy, NSI,

and, Hedelvy Guada, CICTMAR (see Annexes 3, 4, 10).

Awareness lectures in schools

The lectures were taught between June to July 2006 in the Arismendi Municipality. A total of 20 schools and more than 1,700 children received lectures about sea turtles (Annex 5). The materials were videos, Power Point presentations (the projector was donated by Shell) and colored sheets. Posters of the sea turtles of Venezuela were distributed and brochures about the sea turtles of Paria.

In the main part of the private and public schools it was needed to establish a preliminary contact with the authorities to get the authorization to teach the lecture. These visits had to be made until three times in several schools.

Adriana Humanes giving a lecture in the school “Teresa de la Parra”, Rio Caribe.

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Some of the awareness materials distributed in the schools.

The original schedule included to have reached 32 schools and near 3,000 children. However, to accomplish this goal in a very wide area, it was needed to hire a second person. To find an adequate person took several months without results. A marine biologist of the area declined. Finally it was found, a docent with technical level, Elias Brazon, and living temporarily in Cipara Beach. He was trained and provided with materials and just the day that he had to begin the lectures at Cipara and San Juan de Unare Beaches, he abandoned abruptly the area (specifically, he escaped with a girl from Cipara Beach). This fact left us without possibilities to find a third person on time and, with a very wide area of nesting beaches uncovered with lectures.

It must be noted that in some schools it was needed to go twice or even three

times, in order to talk with the authority giving authorization for the lecture. This was another task preventing that we could offer the lectures in more schools.

I Workshop about sea turtles for Docents of the Arismendi Municipality

For each school where we offered lectures, the docents were invited to participate in a further workshop of one and a half day of length by begin July 2006.

It was provided a material in order that the docents could offer their input to

validate it. The material provided was “Las tortugas marinas. Una guía educativa”, a guide prepared by the M.E.M. Cassandra Marichal, from Duke University.

The dates established for the workshop were July 7-8, 2006, taking the afternoon of a Friday and a complete Saturday, the only way to do not interrupt the scholar teaching time. The program of the workshop is in the Annex 6. Forty-one participants attended the workshop, although not all of them were in the activity all the time (Annexes 7, 8, 11). Some of them were traveling from long distances and they had to leave sooner by Saturday.

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Each participant received a folder with the program, pencil, an identification sheet of sea turtles from WIDECAST, a poster of the sea turtles of Venezuela and, brochures about the sea turtles of Paria. A CD with a WIDECAST power point slide show was provided to one representative of each institution. Coffee breaks were provided (with coffee, juice, cookies or desserts), as well as lunch during Saturday 8th. The place of the workshop was the Ateneo de Rio Caribe which we rented during two days.

The main goals of this activity were:

To provide basic information about the sea turtles and guidelines for their conservation in the Arismendi Municipality, and that with this input the docents may manage this subject in their schools.

To validate a guide about sea turtles for docents of the Arismendi Municipality.

Join with the biology and conservation lectures, it was presented one focused

about how to use the histories or tales as an educative tool by a local person. One of the activities was addressed to they could work or prepare some awareness tools for children. The final results of this activity were amazing by the diversity of materials and activities displayed by the docents.

The docents were very excited with the possibility to make a further visit to the

nesting beaches, but finally they could not organize themselves. With the budget available for this project, it was not possible to offer the field trip for them, but by sure, it would be very interesting for the next workshop, to organize it with a field trip to Querepare Beach, the closer camp to Rio Caribe.

ii) Attach any publications, brochures, videos, outreach tools, press releases and

other appropriate “products” that resulted from this project.

Please, see Annexes

6) References

i) Attach a list of secondary references used in conducting the project, including

the evaluation.

Alvarado, J. y T.M. Murphy. 2000. Periodicidad en la Anidación y el comportamiento entre Anidaciones. Pp: 132–136 pp. En: Técnicas de Investigación y Manejo para la Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas. K. L. Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F. A. Abreu-Grobois y M. Donnelly (Editores). UICN/CSE Grupo Especialista de Tortugas Marinas. Publicación Nº 4 (Traducción al español).

Balazs, G. 2000. Factores a Considerar en el Marcado de Tortugas Marinas. Pp 116 – 125. En: Técnicas de Investigación y Manejo para la Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas. K. L. Eckert, K.A. Bjorndal, F. A. Abreu-Grobois y M. Donnelly (Editores). UICN/CSE Grupo Especialista de Tortugas Marinas. Publicación Nº 4 (Traducción al español).

CICTMAR-WIDECAST and PROCOSTA-PROVITA. 2004. Status of the leatherback

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turtle in Venezuela. H. J. Guada. (ed.). VI Regional Marine Turtle Symposium for the Guianas. 25-26 Octubre 2004, Georgetown, Guyana.

Eckert, K. L., K. A. Bjorndal, F. A. Abreu-Grobois y M. Donnelly (Editores). 2000

(Traducción al español). Técnicas de Investigación y Manejo para la Conservación de las Tortugas Marinas. Grupo Especialista en Tortugas Marinas UICN/CSE Publicación No. 4.

Eckert, K. L. 2001. Estado de Conservación y distribución de la Tortuga laúd,

Dermochelys coriacea, en la Región del Gran Caribe. Pp: 25 – 33 pp. Conservación de Tortugas Marinas en la Región del Gran Caribe – Un Diálogo para el Manejo Regional Efectivo. Compilado por: Eckert K. L. y Abreu Grobois, F. A. (Eds.). WIDECAST, UICN/CSE Grupo Especialista de Tortugas Marinas (MTSG), WWF y el Programa Ambiental del Caribe del PNUMA.

Eckert, S. E. High-use oceanic areas for Atlantic leatherback sea turtles as identified

using satellite telemetered location and dive information. Marine Biology. In press.

Guada, H. J. 2000. Areas de anidación e impactos hacia las tortugas marinas en la

Peninsula de Paria y recomendaciones de proteccion. Trabajo de Grado para optar al Titulo de Magister en Ciencias Biológicas. Universidad Simon Bolivar. xix + 228 pp.

Guada, H. J. 2004. Folleto “Las tortugas marinas … Patrimonio natural de la Península

de Paria”. CICTMAR, WIDECAST, Embajada Británica, Alcaldía del Municipio Arismendi, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Palm Beach Zoo, American Zoo and Aquarium Association. Mayo 2004. Depósito Legal LF-CD883200439

Guada, H. J. and G. Solé. 2000. WIDECAST Plan de Acción para la Recuperación de

las Tortugas Marinas de Venezuela (A. Suárez , editora). Informe Técnico del PAC No. 39. UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme. xiv + 112 pp.

Guada, H.J., A. Fallabrino, A. C Martínez, D. A Muñoz, M. A Rondón, S. Gómez, M.

Morisson, L. Florez, A. M Santana, G. Idrobo, J. L Di Paola, E. Carabelli, L. Veiga, A. Naveda, D. Urbano and C. Urbano. 2002. Proyecto de Investigación y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas en Cipara, Península de Paria, Estado Sucre, Venezuela: Resultados Preliminares de la Temporada de Anidación del 2000. Noticiero de Tortugas Marinas 95:17-18.

Rondón Médicci, M. y H. J. Guada 2006. Informe del Proyecto de Investigación y

Conservación de Tortugas Marinas. Cipara, Península de Paria, Estado Sucre. Temporada 2005. Informe Técnico de CICTMAR. 15 pp.

Rondón Médicci, M. A., O. E. Mendoza Arias, A. M. Santana Piñeros, H. J. Guada, E.

Fajardo, and J. Hernández.. 25th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology. International Sea Turtle Society. 18-22 January Enero 2005, Savannah, Georgia (in press).

Troëng, S., D. Chacón y B. Dick. 2004. Possible decline in leatherback turtle

Dermochelys coriacea nesting along the coast of Caribbbean Central America. Oryx 38(4):395-403

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POSTING OF FINAL REPORT: This report may be shared by the Foundation and any

Funding Source for the Project via their respective websites. In the event that the

Recipient intends to claim that its Final Report contains material that does not have to be

posted on such websites because it is protected from disclosure by statutory or regulatory

provisions, the Recipient shall so notify the Foundation and the Funding Source and

clearly mark all such potentially protected materials as “PROTECTED,” providing an

accurate and complete citation to the statutory or regulatory source for such protection.

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10.- List of Annexes (sent from Venezuela under separate cover)

Annex 1: Number of leatherback turtle females in Cipara and Querepare Beaches.

Annex 2: Press releases

Annex 3: Participants: “I Workshop on sea turtles and ecotourism in the Paria Peninsula”, February 2006 Annex 4: Certificate: “I Workshop on sea turtles and ecotourism in the Paria Peninsula”, February 2006 Annex 5: Schools and number of participants in the sea turtle lectures, June – July 2006

Annex 6: Agenda: “I Workshop about Sea Turtles for Docents of the Arismendi Municipality”, July 2006

Annex 7:

Participants: “I Workshop about Sea Turtles for Docents of the Arismendi Municipality”, July 2006

Annex 8:

Certificate: “I Workshop about Sea Turtles for Docents of the Arismendi Municipality”, July 2006

Annex 9:

Plates 1,2,3 and 5, showing aspects of the project development in 2005

Annex 10

Pictures of the 2006 workshop for local communities in Querepare Beach, February 2006

Annex 11

Pictures of the 2006 workshops for local teachers in Rio Caribe, July 2006

Annex 12

Poster about the sea turtles of Paria

Annex 13

“Zapatilla, la Tortuga marina” (book), designed and printed in Spain