ICAPO ,Volunteer Coordinator Assistants Jobs Vacancies in Canada

available for ICAPO’s
hawksbill turtle projects in Nicaragua & El Salvador

The Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO) is conducting
hawksbill sea turtle conservation volunteering programs at two sites
on the Pacific coast of Central America:
• Estero Padre Ramos Natural Reserve, Chinandega, Nicaragua
• Bahia Jiquilisco Biosphere Reserve, Usulutan, El Salvador

A total of four VCAs positions are available for the 2015 nesting
season from April 15th – October 15th

ICAPO will cover food and lodging expenses of VCA’s during their time
with the project sites. However, VCAs are expected to finance all
travel to and from the project sites.

Information on responsibilities related to the VCA positions can be
found below. Please read ALL of the information carefully before
applying. Preference will be given to potential applicants that meet
the following requirements:
• Solid ability in both Spanish and English.
• Previous experience leading groups of volunteers
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Independent, reliable and responsible.
• Motivated, positive and adaptable to unexpected situations.
• Ability to undertake physical labor during night and day in heat and rain.
• Comfortable in an isolated setting and working in a team setting.
• Previous experience working in the outdoors (especially with sea turtles).
• Available for one whole period of three months, for one of the
following periods:
• April 15th – July 20th, 2015
• July 15th – October 15th, 2015

To Apply:

To apply send an email including:
• Letter of motivation, indicating:
• Time frame(s) you are applying for
• Why you are interested in the position
• Your personal strong points
• CV/Resume

To: Tourism Conservation Program Director

ICAPO-FFI Alliance

Email: volunteers@hawksbill.org

Web: http://www.hawksbill.org

Terms of Reference – Volunteer Coordinators (VCs):

There are four Volunteer Coordinator Assistant (VCAs) positions
available to help manage ICAPO’s volunteer program and community
development efforts in El Salvador or in Nicaragua. The
responsibilities of VCAs vary from slightly between the sites, but
they generally entail coordinating the work of project volunteers,
facilitating their involvement in the community, and serving as the
vital link between local program staff/collaborators and volunteers.

VCAs should thus facilitate functional work between locals and foreign
volunteers in terms of language.

Furthermore, VCAs will coordinate with locals project staff to
elaborate volunteer participation in night patrols to identify,
measure and tag all adult turtles, relocate nests into hatcheries or
mark them in situ, conduct daily early morning boat patrols to count
turtle tracks and check status of in situ nests, monitor hatcheries
around the clock, release hatchlings and conduct post hatching nest
excavations. When there are no volunteers in the camp, VCAs are
expected to participate in the field work.

Besides sea turtle duties, other responsibilities of the VCAs will
include administering food supplies. VCAs must also maintain a
friendly relationship with members from local communities, as social
aspects are crucial to the success of the projects. Not surprising, a
high degree of independence, responsibility and commitment is expected
from VCAs.

All project activities are conducted using the help of volunteers (who
pay a fee to participate), which can vary in number. VCAs are expected
to orient and train volunteers upon their arrival at our turtle camp
and to motivate them for the period they are participating in the
project.

It is important for VCAs to be aware of the fact that there may be
periods of extended isolation and time in the field required by these
projects, which can have adverse effects on personal moods and
behaviors. Attitudes are very contagious in the project settings, thus
it is crucial for VCAs to be an example by staying motivated and
maintaining a positive attitude at all times, thus helping other team
members to do the same.

Background:

Only a few years ago, most researchers thought hawksbills had been
extirpated in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Groundbreaking discoveries
and new projects initiated by ICAPO and its partners have changed the
conservation outlook for this imperiled population and provided hope
for recovery. Still, hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific are
considered one of the world’s most endangered sea turtle populations.
Protection of the species in the region is among the world’s most
pressing sea turtle conservation issues; only a few hundred female
hawksbills are estimated to nest along the entire region’s coastline.
The low nesting numbers suggest that the species is unlikely to
survive without coordinated conservation actions to protect eggs,
increase hatchling production, generate biological information and
protect key marine habitats. Working together we aim to bring the
perilous eastern Pacific hawksbill back from the brink of extinction.

Due to the importance of Bahia Jiquilisco (El Salvador) and Estero
Padre Ramos (Nicaragua), which hosts over 90% of the entire nesting
population in the eastern Pacific, we focus conservation efforts at
these sites. We work with local community groups and national
non-profit conservation organizations to carryout conservation
activities. ICAPO’s hawksbill monitoring and conservation program has
been running at these two sites since 2008 and 2010, respectively. Our
research and conservation efforts are focused on critically endangered
hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific, which is one of the most
endangered sea turtle populations on the planet. Over 90% of hawksbill
turtle nesting in the entire eastern Pacific occurs at our program
sites, thus we offer a unique volunteering opportunity.

About ICAPO:

ICAPO was formally established in July 2008 to promote recovery of
hawksbill turtles in the eastern Pacific. As a US 501(c)3 non-profit
program, we consist of numerous individuals and organizations, experts
in the field of hawksbill and sea turtle conservation, hailing from
every country in the eastern Pacific from the US to Peru. We fulfill
our mission to protect and recover hawksbills in the eastern Pacific
by sharing information, raising awareness, forming alliances,
conducting research and initiating conservation. This is achieved
through close collaborations with coastal community members,
scientists and policy makers throughout the region. ICAPO has
established numerous conservation projects, consolidated an important
body of scientific literature, and brought hawksbill turtles to the
forefront of the marine conservation agenda in the eastern Pacific.