What inspired you to work for MEMANTA?
I have dreamt of working in sea turtle conservation since 2008, when I first got in touch with these creatures through a volunteer placement after finishing school. But I knew it would be difficult to get into already existing projects because demand for these positions is high. When I met my former partner in 2015, who is originally from Nicaragua, we developed the idea to just start our very own sea turtle hatchery, because in Nicaragua, they are still quite unprotected, and land prices for beachfront properties are still moderate.
Some volunteers and our English students
Describe a typical day at work.
I first check in with my volunteers at 9 or 10 am and then, while they relax throughout the day, I work on the computer or run errands. After 3 pm, we usually work in the hatchery or in the field together. At 6 pm, we have one last quick group meeting before the night shifts begin, and then everybody does their part. Free time is very scarce for me. As MEMANTA is a small organisation, I am everything at once: manager, coordinator, representative, and patrol leader. It's a lot!
Why do you do what you do?
Because this kind of lifestyle fulfills me very much. I love sea turtles, and I enjoy working in the hatchery so much that it just makes me happy. Also, I love to host people, teach them about sea turtles, and observe how they, just within a few weeks, further develop their personalities and skills and change their mindset about the world.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Really just the hands-on work with the turtles. I need to do a lot of things in the background - legal stuff, logistics, advertising, etc... But I still enjoy it the most when I am with my turtles, just like I have enjoyed it since 2015. So in the end, nothing keeps me away from my hatchery - I always want to know what's going on, and I never get tired of releasing baby turtles. I even envy my own volunteers sometimes for being able to do all the fun work with the turtles while I manage all the other things.
Me at MEMANTA
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
My Geography studies have helped me connect all the dots together. Geographers are experts in human-nature interactions and always analyse how various processes are related to and affected by each other. This is a good base for working in conservation, especially as we are part of a small community close to a mangrove nature reserve. My German genes help me a lot with staying organized and focused, being reliable, and attracting visitors from Europe.
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
I don't really regret anything when it comes to my early years of travel and volunteering. I think I did everything right - I got out of Germany whenever I could, and I always combined a few weeks of volunteering with some weeks of traveling around. My travels and volunteering experiences shaped me and made me the person I am today, and for that, I am really grateful.
What makes your organization special?
MEMANTA is being operated like a conservation business (for-profit model), and the idea behind that is to combine nature conservation with ecotourism and to demonstrate that conservation can directly benefit the wealth of a region. The nest protection is done in close collaboration with the local egg collectors (aka poachers), as 90% of the nests we protect are not found by our team, but found and sold by the locals. Also, we are located close to a huge mangrove reserve, and our beach is around 13 km long.
Why should someone choose MEMANTA over competitors?
A lot of people choose Costa Rica for volunteering with sea turtles, and there are a few very nice projects in place, but mostly they are crowded (imagine: you plus 10 other volunteers around one single turtle) and the impact you're having on your host community is minimal, apart from the money you pay to the organizers. Volunteering in Costa Rica is basically a mass tourism industry.
Here at MEMANTA in Nicaragua, everything is still 100% authentic and original. You are part of a small group, and your contribution in terms of physical work is really needed! The money you pay goes directly into running the program and buying sea turtle nests from poachers. Also, during the first days of your stay, we give you a full training and you learn all the details about hatchery management.
Me showing volunteers how to find eggs
What is your organization's mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our main mission is, of course, to protect the sea turtles of Playa Venecia through egg protection and reproduction. But we have a few other missions like (2) have a lasting impact on our visitors and help to teach the conservationists of tomorrow, (3) show the local community that nature conservation can be an income source through ecotourism, and (4) be a role model or best practice example for similar future operations.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
I know that most participants take away exactly what I have been hoping for. First, the realization that European societies live in great wealth and social security, and that many communities around the world face a different reality, but are still grateful and happy with the little they've got. Second, the awareness that nature conservation is not as simple and one-sided as it seems, because you have to think about sociodemographics, cultural norms, politics, and unique ecosystem features. Third, the feeling of freedom, happiness for simple things, self-confidence, and personal strength.
What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?
One question that is often asked before volunteers choose to participate is about safety. And I typically respond: So many single women travel around Nicaragua and never feel unsafe, it is a country where people live their lives in peace and nobody wishes them harm, but I will not guarantee you that nothing ever will happen because not even in Germany can I guarantee this to you. Just as your bag could get stolen on a crowded train in Germany, it could get stolen in a bus in Nicaragua, so watch your things - but just know that, according to statistics, Nicaragua is safer than Costa Rica.
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
I just see the difference clearly, not only with people from my cultural background, but with Nicaraguan folks who have been abroad (mostly for work, but still...) vs. those who have never left their hometown. Traveling is just a form of education that makes you a better and wiser person and helps you make better life choices altogether. It's the character development that is crucial to me. Nowadays, I don't look at my travel photos from ten years ago anymore, but I will always remember the impact a certain experience had on me.
Me at the beach, ready to find some turtles
What advice do you have for individuals thinking about going abroad?
When you're looking for a volunteer placement, book directly with the projects or organizations in the country and avoid volunteering agencies that are basically just middlemen - because they double the price for you. Writing a direct message to a project you'd like to volunteer with saves you a lot of money.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel means a lot of things to me. People should choose destinations and programs that are meaningful to them, because they can learn new skills or languages, get in touch with people of their kind, do activities they're passionate about, free themselves, live better and healthier, and simply be more fulfilled. The most meaningful type of travel is, of course, volunteering, because it checks all the above boxes at once!