WIDECAST
About Us
WIDECAST is an international scientific network with country coordinators resident in the more than 40 countries and territories of the Wider Caribbean Region, including Costa Rica where our office is centrally located in Tibas, just outside of the bustling capital city of San José. This ideal location enables our staff to maintain contact with community partners and international sponsors alike, in addition to servicing our many volunteer programs and pursuing innovative research, conservation, training, and livelihood initiatives in Costa Rica and beyond.
Our main focus in recent years has been community-based sea turtle conservation programs on our Caribbean coast – including nesting beach studies at Playa Gandoca (Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge) and Playa Cahuita (Cahuita National Park), as well as In-Water population monitoring in Cahuita National Park – as well as on our Pacific coast – including nesting beach studies at Playa Carate, Pejeperro and Río Oro on the Osa Peninsula and, further north, a study of how local fisheries affect marine turtle populations in the vicinity of the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge.
In addition, we maintain a Volunteer Program, a binational project with colleagues in Caribbean Panama comprehensive campaign related to the illegal trade of sea turtle products, and microenterprise development at selected sites, such as with our “Weaving for Nature” project that transforms discarded plastic grocery bags into fashionable handbags, coin purses, and other retail items.
