The experience of a life time in Nicaragua

I am studying Biology at Exeter University, it’s one thing reading about it, but seeing it alive and well in a country with limited resources is inspiring. Throughout my visits to various Nature Reserves and Reforestation projects, I have seen an amazing variety of species and ecology present in these places. But what I found most notable was the people organising and working on these projects, and their passion for the environment and their country. During my first few days in Nicaragua, I had no idea what to expect – I’d expressed an interest in conservation and ecology as that is what I study at University, but other than that there was nothing specific that I planned to do, although a friend had mentioned volcano boarding to me which definitely piqued my interest! On my first full day in Managua, I went to the Ministry of Youth to listen to a presentation on recent developments and to learn about the organisation I would be touring with. As someone with somewhat limited Spanish, I was worried about being too out of my depth, but thankfully a translator Sumaya was provided so I would understand everything.

Sumaya, was wonderful and so helpful we soon became a fast friend. Over the next few days, we visited the Agricultural University, where my translator studied, and had the opportunity to see all kinds of animals housed on the different campuses, something which was very unusual from an English perspective. I was specifically interested in the aquaculture farm they had, with a hydroponics system to clean the water. Despite spending hours learning about them for my Marine Biology modules, I had never seen one in real life! They are becoming increasingly important in the face of overfishing, and studies show it moving some fish production inland may be one of the only ways we will be able to meet global fish demands.

I also got to help volunteer with vet students at a local park, providing free medication to the local community animals. Everyone there was so helpful and generous, providing these services for free, and I had a great time spending time with some of the cutest puppies, although it did make me miss my own dog back home!

In Masaya, I met a woman who had taken over her fathers reforestation project after he sadly passed away, the continued effort and care put into the nursery was astounding, and had been done through a very small group of people. These projects are rare in places like England, where I live, as the majority of people lack the passion and selflessness needed for these projects. In North Leon, I visited an experimental farm, which was looking at how a variety of species was adapting and growing with the current changing climate, while also planting important species needed in reforestation projects.

Some of my most memorable visits were ones that focussed on important and often endangered species in Nicaragua, including Bats and Turtles. My father had told me about the project to protect Turtles after his visit in 2019; which is the main reason I wanted to visit Nicaragua.

Although during my tour of the turtle wildlife refuge in Chacocente, weather conditions prevented us from visiting the beach, the knowledge and excitement from those who ran the project made the visit completely worth it. I learnt a lot about the current status of turtles in Nicaragua, which was especially interesting considering my recent research visit to San Salvador, Bahamas, where I was able to see juvenile Green Turtles present in their nursery habitats.

I had the privilege of sitting in on a workshop at Mombacho Natural Reserve on the conservation and status of bat species, another topic that I have previously researched and found interesting. The people I spoke to had an incredible amount to say, and their passion for the species and its conservation was clear.

 It is always such a unique opportunity to be able to speak with people about what they are involved in, and I am incredibly grateful to the Guardabarranco organisation for the chance to do so.