Today we planted mangroves. It was a very special experience because in Florida the mangroves are endangered and we are not allowed to touch them without risk of a fine.

We started at the mangrove nursery and then went on to find the mangrove pods on the trees. We had to find the pods that were at least as large as a plum. We used a large PVC pipe to knock the pods off the taller branches and placed them in a bag. Afterwards, we went back to the nursery and removed the outer casing of the mangrove pods to expose the seed inside. We packed small bags with sand and dirt from the beach and placed the mangrove seed on top. We measured the mangrove sproutlings that were already planted in the water and then planted more sproutlings.

The mangroves provide housing for fish which provide food for some turtle species. I didn’t know how important mangroves were for the environment until one of the volunteers explained their importance to the bottom of the food chain. Without the mangroves, the food chain would be disrupted and cause a direct impact on the existence of the animals higher on the food chain.

I really hope our work today makes a difference in the future generations of the turtles and other animals of Costa Rica.