Where is the Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge?

Here is a map of where I will be volunteering. The refuge is located in the bottom right corner.

For Sale: Painted Wooden Boxes

These are a few pictures of hand-painted wooden boxes to help fund raise money for me to volunteer with Leatherback turtles in Costa Rica. Take a look at my web album to see some samples. I painted these myself and use a wood burning tool to do the lettering. There are many designs and types of boxes to choose from. You can mix and match. Please feel free to customize yours with writing on the inside and/or outside. Boxes sell for $4.

Contact me @ Heidi.Heung@gmail.com if you are interested.

What exactly am I doing in Costa Rica?

My program in Costa Rica is run by a NGO that employs biologists and volunteers that train temporary staff like me. I will be doing very hands on work with close contact to turtles. Volunteers work night and day on a rota basis with four hour shifts. In total, I'll be working around 6 to 8 hours a day, 6 days a week.

My roles will include
- beach patrolling
- clearing the beach of obstacles
- preparing nests
- relocation of nests
- handling eggs
- helping to release baby turtles in season
- counting and recording eggs
- taking temperatures in nests
- recording the number of turtles arriving

Here is an informative link to a site about the reserve I will be working in. Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge.

Loose change adds up!

I'm happy to say that my first fundraising endeavor was a success. I was able to collect $177.57 from knocking on doors in one of the bigger residence buildings on campus. Students were very nice to me. Some were also very generous. There are still many things i need to plan for and pay for. I have not been able to tally how much I will need to spend while volunteering, but this is a great start.

unexpected fee increase

Directors of the Gandoca turtle reserve raised homestay fees by $2 per night. Volunteers are asked to cover the cost so as not to burden the partner that we work with in Costa Rica. It is not that much money, but it adds to the fees I have to pay to volunteer this summer.

a dollar a day, keeps extinction at bay

Someone once asked me: “keeps extinction at bay”, isn’t that a bit morbid?

I believe that was the sort of thought I wanted to induce. Originally, I was going to name my fund raising campaign “a dollar a day, keeps extinction away.” A play of words on the apple and doctor rhyme. However, as I put more thought into planning the campaign, I realized that slogan was far from the truth. Apart from raising money so I can take part in volunteering in Costa Rica, I also want to raise awareness for the Leatherback Turtle. They are terribly endangered right now. Every bit of help they can get goes a long way, but unfortunately, sponsoring me 30 dollars is not enough to bring them back to their original/safe amount of numbers. So I urge you to find other ways to help their cause. If not the leatherback turtle, I want to raise awareness about endangered species and mother earth in general because all these issues are linked together.

Raising awareness is the key and getting people to ask the right questions - only they can decide what they do from there.
- James Gibbs

Booked the Flight!

Things are moving along. I bought plane tickets for us today! We're leaving on June 23 1:40pm and getting to Costa Rica at 9:05pm. We have one stop in Miami for 4 hours both on our way to Costa Rica and back. We leave at noon and get back near midnight on July 23. The dates were not exactly as planned. We had to be flexible for cheaper tickets. However, I'm very happy with this arrangement. My godparents can visit me at the end of July and I won't miss Summer Conference. Next up: finding a good insurance plan.

This Summer

I will be staying in the South Caribbean coast of Costa Rica for a month. I am interested in learning about the country's biodiversity and its culture. I look forward to learning Spanish, the native tongue of the people there. I will be helping out NGOs and local communities who carry out conservation work at Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Reserve. The goal of volunteering is to help the Eastern Pacific population of leatherback turtles.

Leatherback turtles have been around ever since the first sea turtles evolved over 110 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. They were able to outlive the dinosaurs, but at the moment, they are the world's most endangered sea turtle. Growing up to nine feet long, the leatherback is the largest and heaviest of all living turtles. In the reptile world, they are the deepest divers and among one of the fastest. I feel that it would be a privilege for me to help protect them.

Purpose of this blog:

- To educate readers about the leatherback turtle
- Keep sponsors informed and updated
- Status on fundraising efforts
- Journal of my volunteer experience
- Information on how to donate

A little bit about me

Hi, my name is Heidi Heung. I am currently in my third year at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I study psychology and hope to go to teacher's college after my first degree.

Background
I went to Don Mills Collegiate Institute for high school. Throughout my time there, I was involved in three school plays. I competed in the Canadian Improv Games and won bronze and silver for my division in my last two years of high school.

Employment
At home, I teach piano on a weekly basis. On campus, I work as a McMaster tour guide. I also hold a job as a Building Access Staff Administrator, supervising the program implemented to monitor guests in residence buildings. I was also a facilitator trained on high and low rope courses with Altitude, a part of the Outdoors and Recreation office at McMaster.

Volunteer Experience
In the past, I have volunteered at the Royal Ontario Musuem with their hands-on exhibits during March Break. One summer, I worked with the Ontario Science Centre Camp as a camp assistant. I have also volunteered to lead Junior Worship and teach Sunday School at my local church. I love working in the community, especially with children. Currently, I am an in-school mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters at an elementary school in Hamilton.

Interests/Hobbies
I am on the McMaster Dragon Boat Team. I have a green belt in tae kwon do. I completed my Royal Conservatory of Music certificate for piano up to grade ten. I play an acoustic guitar and I listen to a variety of music. I like to read novels when I'm not reading my textbooks. I can spin plates on a stick and do some basic juggling. I like random art projects like sewing, wood carving, drawing and painting. I enjoy camping and hiking, especially with my family.