Conservation - MEXICO Daily Life

Daily Life

During my three month placement on the turtle conservation project in Mexico I became accustomed to a regular daily routine which enabled me to adjust to the surroundings and formed an important part of stabilising camp life for myself, other volunteers, and staff.

The daily routine was governed by the times of the shifts. Night shifts, which either consisted of patrolling the beach with a member of staff or guarding and checking the corral, ran from 10 or 11pm until 2 or 3 in the morning. The next shift started at 2 or 3am and continued until 7.30am. The early morning corral shift began at 7.30am and depending on the number of nests and the timing of the hatchings etc would last between half an hour and two hours. The patrolling shift sometimes began earlier depending on the weather conditions; if there were high winds we would go out earlier because a lot of the turtles come up onto the beach when it is windier to lay their eggs.

The time we ate breakfast was flexible and consisted of a basic selection of fruit and cereals. During the day there was access to eggs, bread, milk, water and fruit. In the evening we were treated to a hot meal cooked by a Mexican lady from the area. The meals were chosen by volunteers so they varied from burgers and salad, to quesadillas, to breaded fish, rice, beans, fruit, potatoes, shrimps and chicken ...

Washing facilities were available when needed. There was access to a daily shower and it was often entirely up to the individual when and how often they wanted to wash. For clothes washing there was a stone sink and basin and plenty of clean water which again meant that you could wash your clothes as often as you wanted, although the majority of volunteers did a weekly wash which was more efficient. There were plenty of hanging lines where clothes could be left to dry in the wind!

Camp duties were put on a timetable which changed on a weekly basis. Duties consisted of cleaning the radio shack and palapa area, cleaning the bathroom and shower area, washing down the quad bikes, doing the washing up and bleaching the benches and kitchen areas. There was also an option to take part in gardening projects, or helping with the ongoing adjustments being made to the camp.

During my spare time I got through an impressive number of books, swam in the lagoon, went horse-riding and bird-watching, relaxed with the other volunteers under the palapa in our hammocks and generally chilled out. There was always plenty of beautiful beaches and countryside to explore, and the local village was roughly a one hour walk away where there was internet access.

During my time at the camp I became extremely interested in the conservation work I took part in. Having professional conservationists as staff members meant that there was always a great deal to learn from them!