Kids Saving the Rainforest
By Pia Martin DVM KSTR Wildlife Vet Kinkajous (Potos flavus) and in Spanish “Martillas”, are medium size mammals (40-55cms long, weighing 2-3kg), brownish colored from the Procyonid family. This means they are nocturnal, live in pairs or by themselves and are arboreal and terrestrial; just like raccoons (Procyon lotor) and
Read MoreWhite face monkeys are very intelligent new world monkeys. They are omnivores who eat fruits, veggies, insects, eggs, lizards and almost anything that moves. In the wild they are always in the canopy and travel during the morning and afternoon in troops of 7 or more individuals. They are very active, curious, and playful all the time. Their big eyes, pink nose, stand up position and fingers make them very similar to people. Many humans get confused and think that this cute animal will become fabulous and funny pets. However they can’t be more wrong.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered what Kids Saving the Rainforest does? Well, now is
your chance to find out
Read MoreKids Saving The Rainforest has been very busy with lots of great news that we want to share with you.
We now have our official Zoological Garden license. We use this license for our wildlife sanctuary to house any wildlife that can’t be released back into the rainforest, animals that would have to be euthanized if we did not care for them. Currently there are over 20 monkeys protected at the Sanctuary which is called the Kids Saving The Rainforest Educational Center.
Read MoreThe Wildlife Rescue Center was very busy in 2010 and it was also very successful. We received 116 injured, sick, or orphaned animals, which is 37 more than we received in 2009. Most of them were titi monkeys and both species of sloths, the 3 toed and the 2 toed. However we also treated porcupines, kinkajous, white face monkeys, howler monkeys, ocelots (a wild cat also know as the Dwarf Leopard), and even one otter, among others! Our success rate is increasing year after year, right now with a remarkable statistic of over 50% release percentage. We feel very enthusiastic by this number considering that other wildlife rescue centers barely release up to third of the animals accepted.
Read MoreKids Saving the Rainforest recently partnered with Blue Banyan Inn, an environmentally friendly bed and breakfast located right outside of Manuel Antonio.
The Blue Banyan is part of a 75-acre ecologically sustainable community, encompassing KSTR’s new Wildlife Sanctuary and International Volunteer Center, tilapia farms, nurseries, and botanical gardens. As a KSTR volunteer, I spent part of my time volunteering at the Blue Banyan Inn, helping them move towards their goal of becoming fully self-sustainable. My primary job, along with Rodrigo and Tio, two of the workers on staff, was to harvest a food source for the animals housed at the sanctuary
Read MoreYou see them every day parading across monkey bridges and electrical lines, but the recent electrocution of six titi monkeys in Pocares reminds us that there is still a need for a better balance between our modern world and the surrounding eco-community. While we need electrical lines to power our needs, the trouble for wildlife starts when the wires—either two primary or a primary and secondary—make contact with a grounded object, such as a tree or land, or with each other. When this occurs, the wires become electrified, creating a dangerous situation for monkeys accustomed to using them as a means of passage.
Read MoreAs part of our ongoing efforts to educate people about the rainforest and its inhabitants, KSTR is tracking the decline of indigenous frog populations within and outside of Costa Rica.
Read MoreAs most of you know, a huge storm hit the Manuel Antonio and Quepos area in June, downing thousands of trees and branches, which in turn destroyed numerous monkey bridges.
The KSTR Monkey Bridge Crew went out several times to evaluate the damages, and found that a total of 32 bridges were affected by the storm, some of them partially damaged and many of them completely destroyed.
Read MoreRainforests are primarily defined by two factors: where they are found on the earth and the amount of rainfall they receive. Rainforests are typically found in tropical locations and receive from 160-315 inches of rain per year.
Read MoreMy name is Trevor. I am a volunteer animal rehabilitator working with Kid’s Saving the Rainforest’s veterinarian, Pia, performing rescue, rehab and release techniques for the many sick, abandoned or injured animals that come into the clinic everyday. More recently however, I’ve also taken on the title ‘tour-guide’. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Kid’s Saving the Rain Forest now has a tour! I know what you’re thinking, “Oh, great, another tour in Quepos/Manuel Antonio…”. Well I’m here to tell you that this tour is a little different than the average tour you might find around here.
Read MoreKSTR has a program dedicated to help the Titi Monkeys (squirrel monkeys), as well as the other species of monkeys that live in the Manuel Antonio Area.
Read MoreTiti monkeys (saimiri oerstedii citrinellus) are small but very intelligent and dexterous. They are unique to the Manuel Antonio area.
Last august, some kids were visiting Playa El Rey in the National Park and found a very young monkey on the ground, he was hurt and couldn’t move. They felt sorry for the little guy and carefully picked him up and put him in a box. They took him to MINAET not knowing what else to do. MINAET brought him to us. The little titi was about 6 months old and had a very serious fracture in his arm and another in his clavicle. He could have fallen from a very tall tree just when he was learning to move on his own.
Read MoreCosta Rican national authorities along with the United States signed a symbiotic alliance in January to create the Energy Efficient Center (Centro de Energía Eficiente).
This center will promote research, development, and use of cleaner and more efficient energy that will allow this country to reach its objective of becoming carbon neutral by the year 2021. In other words, Costa Rica wants to mitigate the carbon that is created here.
Read MoreI write to you today to let you know, not so much about the organization, Kids Saving The Rainforest, (KSTR) but more on how it got started. KSTR is a 501 (C) 3, non-profit organization that was founded 11 years ago in 1999 by my best friend Aislin and me.
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