These data are critical for our goal of evaluating the conservation status of mammal populations on the island.

Nicaragua has been called "the land passed by". Unlike other countries in Central and South America, the forests of Nicaragua have been relatively untouched by logging companies, tourists, and multinational corporations over the past 25 years. Fully one-third of the tropical lowland rainforests in Nicaragua are still intact. This is due to several historical, cultural, and environmental factors. Nicaragua is a country rich is fertile soils, marine and coastal resources, and tropical rainforests. It is located in the middle of Central America, boarded by the Pacific and Caribbean oceans, and by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country got its name from the "Niquiranos" a group of people who settled in this region from Mexico in the eighth century AD.

Nicaragua is a country dominated by rugged terrain, high mountains and active volcanoes. Nicaragua went through a period of political instability in the 1970's and 1980's. However, cultural and political change in Nicaragua has come about through peaceful democratic elections and a commitment to a new way of life. Now having completed its second consecutive set of free elections (voter turnout in the elections of 1996 was 80%), the people and government of Nicaragua are committed to education and the protection of their heritage and natural resources. We have been invited to play a critical role in this ecological renaissance by contributing to the goals of education and the collection of scientific information on the tropical forests, animals, and plants of Nicaragua.

Our field schools and research centers offer students from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Central and South America the chance to have a "classroom in nature" to learn about tropical rainforests, to obtain hands-on experience in designing and conducting scientific research projects, to see the effects of deforestation, and to collect information that will become part of the solution to protecting our natural world.

The site that we have selected for our first ecological-educational-and research station is Isla de Ometepe. Ometepe is an island of 276 square kilometers lying in Lake Nicaragua. It is the largest island in the world situated in a fresh water lake. Two majestic forested volcanoes dominate the island. One called Madera raises 1,400 meters above the lake. The other, Concepción is even taller and reaches a height of nearly 1,700 meters. Ometepe is situated in southeastern Nicaragua and has a population of 30,000 people. The majority of the people who live on the island are of Indian ancestry.

The word Ometepe is a Nahuatl word that means "land of 2 volcanoes" (Nashuatl) is a language spoken by the ancient Aztecs and their descendants). Crater lakes, beautiful streams with cascading water, cloud forests, and lowland rainforests are found on the island, along with some 80+ species of birds, mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata), white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus), sloths, deer, other tropical forest mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Our field camp is located on a bay overlooking Lake Nicaragua. We don't charge extra for swimming in the lake after a hard day of monkey watching.

Ometepe also is an famous for its rich pre-Columbian past that is marked today by extensive archaeological sites throughout the island. These include life size carved stone statues (often depicting male and female human figures adorned with animal masks), petroglyphs (rock carvings), monuments, ceramic urns, and sacred burial grounds. Although much of the archaeology of Ometepe and its inhabitants still remain a mystery, it is believed that the Niquirano Indians migrated here from the valley of Mexico. Part of the island may have been a royal cemetery for kings and queens.

Goals of Estacion Biologia De Ometepe

Estación Biológica de Ometepe is a nonprofit Foundation registered in Nicaragua. We are dedicated to working with the Government of Nicaragua to develop a set of Ecological and Biological Research and Teaching Centers throughout the country. What we offer are educational programs and the collection of scientific information on the tropical forests, animals, and plants of Nicaragua. Nicaragua has tremendous natural resources, and these are part of national heritage. We want to learn about the diversity and richness of Nicaraguan forest ecosystems, and share this information with the people of Nicaragua, the worldwide scientific community, and students who share our fascination with the natural world. Our Research Centers will help to educate and train Nicaraguan students and teachers in the conservation and management of tropical rainforests. Students and ecologically minded tourists who visit our field sites will learn about the natural history, culture, and people of Nicaragua . This will bring prestige to Nicaragua and identify it as a country committed to conservation, education, and scientific research.

Our specific goals are as follows:

1. Develop 9 protected research and educational centers throughout Nicaragua. Each station will be situated in a different environmental zone across the country and will be located in order to best preserve the flora and fauna of the area.
   
2. To offer field-oriented courses to undergraduate and graduate students
   
3. To help educate and train Nicaraguan students in ecology, conservation, and field biology
   
4. Protect and conserve the natural heritage of our planet
   
5. Census and inventory the flora and fauna of Isla de Ometepe and develop a plan for sustained management and protection of its forests
   
6. Initiate long-term research to obtain scientific information for management and conservation decisions.
   
7. Individually mark and monitor howler monkey and capuchin monkey populations on Isla de Ometepe. This includes obtaining information on demography, reproductive success, patterns of habitat utilization, and ecology.

Dr. Paul A. Garber
Professor
Department of Anthropology
University of Illinois
109 Davenport Hall
607 S. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, Illinois 61801
Phone (desk) 217 333-0075
Phone (Dept) 217 333-3616
FAX 217 244-3490
Email: p-garber@uiuc.edu