Insects of Laguna de Apoyo: Photos by Cindy Skeie III

Nature Photography at its finest! All photos taken in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve by Cindy Skeie.


At Estacion Biologica, we are studying the butterflies and other fauna of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Would you like to help us learn about nature in Nicaragua? You can volunteer with us. Please contact us for more information if you can help.

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Our thoughts on food at Estacion Biologica

How one eats may be the best exercise of politics that one can make. At Estacion Biologica, we try to follow the principle "think globally, eat locally". We purchase beans from the Ebert Silva Cooperative in Laguna de Apoyo. Other provisions are purchased from national producers, whenever possible from small-scale farmers. Thanks to prior rural development projects executed throughout Nicaragua, one can find lettuce and other green vegetables grown organically in Nicaraguan small farms. Organic food and fresh products from small-scale producers are our priority!

We serve freshly cooked food, avoiding whenever possible, processed foods and foods imported from outside Nicaragua. Our cooks produce healthy meals from "scratch". Breakfasts include fresh milk, granola, fresh fruit, eggs and "gallo pinto", and the best Nicaraguan coffee available. 

Our kitchen is open-air and informal, and our meals are simple, healthful, and made with locally produced products.

We serve fresh-brewed coffee, freshly ground from whole beans, the best available in Nicaragua!

Our cooks have fun! We serve three meals a day and you are welcome to join us for a meal, a day, or longer. Unlike most establishments, all our workers receive meals and they eat what our visitors eat. We emphasize good nutrition to our workers is as important to them as to our visitors.

Our principles on food:

1. Buy organic.

2. Buy as local as possible.

3. Buy from small farmers.

4. Buy from farmers organized in cooperatives or other kinds of associativity.

5. Avoid processed and packaged foods.

6. Buy from certified farmers and promote certification processes for socially and environmentally favorable production. 

7. Promote food security strategies by purchasing food products that are compatible with local production and consumption.

When you eat with us, we hope you learn about food in Nicaragua and contribute to good development strategies by eating correctly and well.

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Studying Spanish in Laguna de Apoyo

Spanish courses are provided at the Apoyo Spanish School, located at Estacion Biologica in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Ours is the oldest existing Spanish school in Nicaragua. Our school is part of the Nicaraguan Foundation for Integral Community Development (FUNDECI), a registered not-for-profit organization in Nicaragua. Ours is the oldest continuously operating Spanish school in the country, and we have provided training for teachers in most of the other schools-we teach the teachers in regular workshops. We typically provide classes in one-on-one instruction, but we can also arrange classes in small groups. All proceeds received by FUNDECI go towards community development and environmental protection in the country.

Lunch is a family affair. Photo by Belen Camino.

Apoyo Spanish School offers Spanish training for all ages. Photo by Belen Camino.

Young people are welcome here! We have teachers with experience in children's education.

Teachers and students at Apoyo Spanish School. Photo by Belen Camino.

One-on-one Spanish instruction under large trees at Apoyo Spanish School. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary.

Classes are often held outdoors, under the shade of large trees. Monkeys are often passing overhead during classes. If you like the idea of studying Spanish with nature near, come to visit us.

Homework! Photo by Jeffrey McCrary.

Mette is diligently finishing her homework-while the less studious ones are playing in the lake!

Our Spanish training courses are integrated with other activities of the research station in community and environmental issues. We provide one-on-one and small-group instruction with accomodations in a natural setting, with the best teachers in Nicaragua!

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Bats!!!

Who would have ever thought bats could be interesting in some way? Once we caught a few, we were fascinated, and we also were sure there was much to learn about Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve through them. We conduct a monitoring program on the wildlife in which one segment deals with bat diversity. Our volunteers Lukas and Soren have been very busy with this study.

Lukas and Pablo catching bats in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Soren Kraack.

Bat monitoring in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, Nicaragua. Video produced by David McKnight.

This study is being conducted by the staff of FUNDECI/GAIA with support from the German cooperation organization DED, and coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in Nicaragua. Researchers, thesis students, and volunteers are all welcome to work with us. We accept volunteers to help us perform wildlife monitoring. If you would like to be involved, please let us know!

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Baby howler monkey dies in Laguna de Apoyo II

In continuation of the previous blog, this baby mantled howler monkey apparently died from a fall not provoked by humans, although we constantly observe people throwing rocks at monkeys in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. We need more volunteers, researchers, park guards and strategic and tactical support for environmental education in the area to protect our local fauna. See the video below produced by David McKnight. The staff at Estacion Biologica have saved the skin from the cadaver for genetic studies. We also made a report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of Nicaragua.

Would you like to help us protect the wild nature found in Nicaragua? We need volunteers and donations. Come and help us in our studies, reforestation, and other conservation activities. Visit us in Estacion Biologica!

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Baby monkey dies in Laguna de Apoyo I

By Stephan Beekhuis

Baby monkey dies after falling out of tree

LAGUNA DE APOYO – On Wednesday the 23rd of February around eleven o’clock employees of the Estación Biólogica Fundeci/Gaia found a baby howler-monkey that fell 70 feet from a tree in Laguna de Apoyo. The rescue was too late; an hour later it died.                                                         

                                                                                                           A volunteer of the  biologic research-centre, Troels Hummelgren (23), discovered the young male monkey lying on the ground. “I saw that he was still breathing so I knew he was still alive. Its family was howling in the trees above me where the baby monkey fell. I decided to let the family take care of him.” Hummelgren went back to the station  to inform the Director, Dr. Jeffrey Mc Crary,  of the situation.

A half hour after the discovery, Hummelgren returned to monitor the situation with Fundeci/Gaia employee Elmer Nicaragua. In the time they had been gone, the young creature’s family had put him back in the tree, where it was suffering helpless. “After a conversation with Dr. McCrary we decided to remove the young monkey from the tree”, said Hummelgren. Acting as quickly as they could, Nicaragua climbed on Hummelgren’s shoulders. “When he picked up the baby, the family began howling in apparent frustration, but only for a few moments.” 

The monkey was brought back to the station, where it died of internal injuries shortly after.

Our volunteers help in a variety of projects, among them writing essays such as this one.

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