Spanish & Turtle Conservation in Mexico for Teens
- Project Info
- What are High School Specials?
- Community Service Credit
- High School Specials Impact Report
- Placement location: Cuyutlan and Tecoman, Colima
- Types of placements: Turtle center, crocodile center, lagoon
- Accommodation: Shared volunteer house
- Age Requirements: 16-19 years old
- Arrival Airport: Guadalajara (GDL)
- Local Languages: Spanish
If you have a passion for marine wildlife and want to get actively involved in preserving endangered species and environments, join us in Mexico at our Conservation Project! The project is based in Colima, on the Pacific coast, where you will work at a turtle conservation center and a crocodile center. You will also work at a large lagoon located next to the turtle center.
During your two weeks abroad, you will participate in various activities aimed at protecting endangered turtle species, as well as crocodiles and birds. Working with turtles will be your main focus, and you will help count, collect, and bury the eggs in a corral to keep them safe from predators and poachers. Once the eggs have hatched, you will help release the hatchlings into the sea.
In addition to working with turtles, you will also get involved in our crocodile conservation work and contribute to a study of the wildlife in the local lagoon.
Learning Spanish is a big part of this High School Special. Classes will be held for two hours every day, five days a week, and are taught in small groups. Classes are highly interactive and you will be encouraged every step of the way. Whether you want to master the basics or improve your current level of Spanish, the teaching will be adjusted to your level.
As an aspiring biology student, I found the sheer biodiversity of the mangrove swamps incredible. During bird watching sessions we would ride on a boat to one of the bigger swamps, where we would stop for an hour to identify and count all the bird species around us. Some sessions, we recorded over 300 birds just in that one area.Read more...
Volunteers on the Conservation Project in Mexico live in a shared house close to a black sand beach. The house has a communal kitchen and a swimming pool and each volunteer will help with keeping this shared living space clean. Over the weekend, you will travel with our local staff to a beach resort, where you can relax and go swimming.
You can read more detailed information about the aims of the project in our Mexico Conservation Management Plan.