Honoring Our Donors: The Success of the Melanocephala Conservation Campaign

Cristian Porras Ramírez
Sep 12, 2024
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

From Vision to Reality

A few months ago, we launched a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo with an ambitious goal: to renew our monitoring equipment, improve field conditions for our research team, enhance visitor experiences, and increase project visibility through better signage. This campaign was designed to support the conservation of one of the world's rarest vipers, Lachesis melanocephala — the Black-headed Bushmaster.

Despite facing several obstacles, and thanks to the invaluable collaboration and advice from people who had navigated this process before, we achieved 89% of our funding goal. We are deeply grateful to every person who believed in this project and contributed to its success.

Campaign Financial Summary

The Indiegogo campaign ran from May 6 to June 6, 2024. Here's a complete breakdown of the campaign finances:

Campaign Performance:

Gross funds raised: $8,440.00 USD
Platform fees (Indiegogo): $297.00 USD
Payment processing fees: $194.59 USD
Refunds processed: $2,500.00 USD*
Reserved funds (temporary): $297.00 USD
Net funds received: $5,394.00 USD

*Important note: Two donations were refunded during the campaign: one from Cristian Porras for $200 USD (rejected by Indiegogo due to internal policies), and one for $2,500 USD (made in error by the donor and subsequently refunded). The net funds received reflect only the successful, non-refunded contributions.

How the Funds Were Invested

A few weeks ago, we began the process of importing the equipment. This turned out to be more expensive than anticipated, primarily due to Costa Rica's high import tariffs on electronic equipment and logistics company fees. However, we successfully acquired everything needed for the project.

Total Project Investment:

Campaign funds received: $5,394.00 USD
Additional CRWild contribution: $1,785.00 USD
Total invested: $7,179.00 USD*

*CRWild contributed the additional funds to cover import taxes and ensure the project was fully equipped with professional-grade scientific equipment.

Complete Equipment List

Field & Research Equipment ($4,247.00)

Waterproof Dry Bags (3 units).
TRX-1000 WR Telemetry Receiver.
Receiver Case & Nylon Antenna Case.
Headphones.
Coaxial Cables (2 units).
Holohil SI-2 Implantable Transmitters (4 units).
Symcode RFID EMID Microchip Reader (Model MJ-Q40).
TRX100WR Carrying Case.
Nitecore UT32 Headlamps – 1100 lumens (3 units).
Nitecore NL1836R Rechargeable Batteries USB-C (6 units).
SensorPush HT.w Environmental Data Loggers (10 units).

Logistics, Safety & Outreach ($940.00)

Vehicle Vertical Safety Signs (4 units).
Educational Signage for Night Tours.

Import Taxes - Costa Rica ($1,953.00)

Import Tax – Amazon Shipment.
Import Tax – TRX-1000 WR Telemetry Receiver.
Import Tax – Holohil Equipment.

For a Total invested: $7,179.00 USD*

Why This Equipment Matters

Working with Lachesis melanocephala requires extensive preparation before direct field encounters occur. This species is extremely elusive, legally protected, and occupies one of the most challenging research environments in Central America. The equipment we've acquired enables us to:

Track individual snakes using state-of-the-art telemetry systems
Monitor environmental conditions continuously with data loggers
Ensure team safety during nocturnal fieldwork in remote locations
Engage local communities through educational signage and outreach
Conduct professional-grade research that meets international scientific standards

Honoring Our Supporters

This success would not have been possible without the generosity and trust of our donors. We want to publicly recognize each person who contributed to this campaign:

Adopt a Specimen and Name It

Charles Bennett DeLancey

Special Donors for Their Contributions

Cristian Porras and César Barrio Amorós (CRWILD)
Very Felix
Clint Guadiana
Devon Douglas
Joseph Valle
Mario Benavides
Ryan Lubbers
Pauline Parisian Jr
Kimberly Trouten
George Lambert
Susan James
Matthew Anderson
Greg
Hunter Meakin
Josh Justice
Bálint Uveges
Matthew Ouellette
Edward Gilbert
Yuliana Ramirez
Karen Sharples
Marlin D. Corn

Free Visit for $150+ Donors

Daniel Dashevsky
Frank Fleming
Karen Sharples
Ali McCorkle
Charles Bennett DeLancey
Paul Janos
Roy Toft
Guillermo R. Benavides
Wolfgang Wüster
Chinmay Kanchi
Jan Suchanek
Jason Spot
Hunter Meakin

Special Thanks

We deeply thank all the donors who made this achievement possible. We also want to express our gratitude to:

Rancho Quemado Rural Tourism for their unwavering support of the community
Jovel, Víctor, and Jessica for their countless hours of dedicated fieldwork
The Integral Development Associations of Drake and Rancho Quemado
The Drake Guides Association
Hunter Meakin for exceptional support and collaboration
Garage Digital for their invaluable help with signage design and production
Indiegogo for being the platform that facilitated this process
And to everyone who, in one way or another, helped make this goal a reality

Looking Forward

Conservation work involving a species as rare and threatened as the Black-headed Bushmaster requires long-term planning, transparency, and adaptability. Your support has had a direct and measurable impact on the project's scientific readiness and operational continuity.

For donors with naming rights or visit privileges, we encourage you to reach out to begin the process. We're excited to welcome you to the field and share this incredible conservation work firsthand.

Thank you for believing in this project and in the future of Lachesis melanocephala.

With gratitude and respect,

Black-headed Bushmaster Conservation Project Team