San Pancho and Turtle News from Costa Verde Ecological Group Frank D. Smith - Ecological Group of Costa Verde
August 5, 2019

Hola Volunteers and Supporters ~

Turtle-wise: By July 15th nighttime temperatures returned to near normal allowing us to once again place nests within the box nursery. The first of the 58 boxes in the box nursery should start hatching around September 1st. To date 37 nests were left on the beach in better locations, and 3 nests were taken by the poachers. By the end of July we had recorded 105 nests, the same amount recorded last season but below the ten year average of 115.

Volunteer-wise: Year round, Manuel Murrieta, Julio Gonzales and America Tejas, Juan Flores and family, Karen Sorum and Hallie Loveridge. Seasonal volunteers for July: Madison McLoughlin, Kristylee Marr, Mitchell Williamson, Joslin Carson, Alejandra Lugo Jimenez and Daniel Simon.

The lineup of volunteers this season. 65% are return or former volunteers, and 35% are first season. Gender is 50/50%, while 19% are youth and 80% of all volunteers are either couples or couples with family.

Weather-wise: Daytime temperatures were in the mid to high 80°s, while night time temps were in the high 70°s. July rainfall came to 10.0 inches while rain for this year totaled 10.92 inches.

Over the past two years we’ve received little rainfall or high waves from over a half-a-dozen tropical hurricane. This could be good or bad news depending how you look at it. The question is why are all the tropical disturbances passing off our cost by a distance of 1,200 to 2,400 miles, and following the same path generally in the direction of the Hawaiian Islands.

Unfortunately gasoline is by far our largest expense. The dune buggy is necessary tool to keep poachers off the beach where nothing else works. We are looking for donations of gasoline or donations to purchase it.  

Town and Country: On the 21st, the first rainstorm of the season opened the lagoon to the sea. What was once a sanctuary for aquatic plants and wildlife was quickly turned into a mud hole. Water Hyacinth and other aquatic wildlife like hundreds of small crabs and fish were washed out to sea and back onto the shore. The next day around 2 PM, thousands of small butterflies passed over the nursery, the migration lasted for two hours. The peso at the end of the month is about 18.5, regular gasoline 20.1 pesos per lt. or about $4.21 per gallon.

Frank Smith, Director
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Project Tortuga
Tel. 311-258-4100

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