Comunidad Protectora de Tortugas de Osa (COPROT) (Costa Rica)

COPROT works to actively engage community members in sea turtle conservation to foster a sustainable and empowered community through scientific research and global education outreach. was established to link sea turtle conservation research with community engagement and sustainable practices. Through daily sea turtle field patrols, we monitor Olive Ridley, Green, and Hawksbill nesting populations. Additionally, we host workshops and tours for community members to learn about sea turtle biology and conservation. We are located in a rural area with limited access to infrastructure and vocational training.

In an effort to mitigate environmental crime and empower our community, COPROT seeks to provide paid conservation positions for community members and offer incentives to engage in sustainable practices. They host clean-ups to remove plastics and other waste from our beaches, with which we sort and upcycle on our project site. This grant will support the next step in the development of our plastic project, which will enable us to provide a salary for a local employee, to expand our recycling center, and to host an educational workshop to familiarize the community with plastics and their threats to sea turtles and ecosystem health. Overall, our goal is to develop a community recycling center, where we can remunerate material drop-offs from local people and hire more employees to manage and process plastic waste.