Date: June 17, 2024.
Author: Jorge Lezama Larios.
Postulated by: Fauna & Flora, Nicaragua.

Javier Antonio Mojica Cano is originally from Nicaragua, he began his journey as an environmental conservationist as a promoter of environmental education in the town of Villa El Carmen, municipality of the department of Managua in 2003, giving motivational talks on waste management to teachers of local schools.

As a result of an overflight promoted by Fauna & Flora International on the Pacific beaches of Nicaragua, significant nesting of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) were identified on Salamina beach, this motivated the birth of the Leatherback Turtle Conservation project in the Salamina beach and Costa Grande in 2008. An 8-kilometer long beach where green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) also nest, would see the birth of a leatherback hero.

More than 15 years have been dedicated by Mr. Javier Mojica to the protection of the leatherback turtle. Thanks to him, many people of different ages, from adults to children, know about the nesting of this enormous and majestic sea turtle, and he has managed to get local schools and authorities to place leatherback as a flagship species of Villa El Carmen.

Javier Mojica Cano, kneeling in the center and accompanied by all his community colleagues who monitor the Salamina and Costa Grande beaches every night to protect the leatherback turtle nests. Photo courtesy of Fauna & Flora.

His work involved working hard to stimulate alliances with other community members and organizations related to conservation to promote the formation of a local network, with the aim of expanding the area of ​​leatherback monitoring.

He maintains strong coordination ties with local authorities and is always willing to share his knowledge about sea turtles to facilitate coordinated care and protection work on the beaches.

On Salamina beach, after its integration into the project, 229 Leatherback nests have been protected and 2,621 hatchlings have been released. In 2019 he had the opportunity to participate in the 1st high-level conference in the Americas on illegal wildlife trade, where he presented the work he carries out on Salamina Beach regarding conservation and the participation of the communities involved in this issue. Javier is affectionately known in the community as “Mojicano” and one of his favorite phrases is: “One less plastic bag, one more turtle.”

He dedicates most of his time to working as president of the Heritage and Environment Ecological Tourism Cooperative COOTUEPAM R,L., a community organization of which he has been founder with the vision of working in unity for the well-being of natural resources and the environment, with a focus on tourism but as a main commitment to the conservation of sea turtles, especially the leatherback; He is also a music lover and teaches whoever likes it to play different instruments.

His plans for the future include continuing to work so the cooperative is positioned as one of the best in Villa El Carmen, generating income through the tours they offer, raising awareness among the people of their community about the rational use of drinking water and waste, while it is also proposed to establish sea turtle conservation hatcheries throughout the year to protect the nests of leatherback, olive ridley and green turtles.

In addition to participating in meetings and training, he likes to develop topics of social interest that benefit communities, which is why he has also been a promoter of projects such as the drinking water service, the improvement of the sanitation network and the installation of latrines, among others. For all the effort dedicated to the environment, the community and especially to the care of the turtles, Javier Mojica has earned the title of Hero.