Save the Sea Turtles

I have some urgent news to share with you.

Just last week, my phone rang, and I received word that several hundred olive ridley sea turtles had begun nesting at a beach a few miles from where our rangers work in Nicaragua. The female turtles were crawling onto the sand to lay their eggs in synchronicity. An incredible sight!

But the report turned dark. Dozens of people were combing the beach, standing over the turtles. As a turtle laid her nest, the people dug up the eggs. It was so bad that at the end of that nesting event, 100% of the nests were destroyed and the eggs taken. The eggs were likely sold to middlemen who bring them to restaurants or to wildlife traffickers. And now, thousands of sea turtles will never hatch.

Stories like this are heartbreaking, but they are common where we work because there are so few conservation groups operating. If our sea turtle program cannot continue, I can honestly write that even more turtle nests will be stolen.

I’m witing to you today to ask you to send in a special year-end gift to help protect one sea turtle nest.

I aim to raise $5000 on GlobalGiving by the end of the year to ensure that our community rangers can start the year on solid footing as they protect turtle nests in situ, or in nurseries.  The roles of the rangers vary, but every single community ranger is extremely important to me, and I know they are important to you because of what they do to help sea turtles.

Our resources are thin this holiday season and I could sure use your help. Right now, the ranger’s lanterns are corroded from the sand and the salt water, they need new boots after hiking through the wet sand and mud this year, and they are concerned about their employment because they are some of the few local people who have stable jobs and people look up to them for the environmental work they do.

The good news is that you can help!

Will you please send a year-end gift by midnight, December 31^st to help save a sea turtle nest?

 Your gift will help us to sustain the community rangers who work tirelessly to keep sea turtles safe. Your aid will make it possible for them to protect nests in situ from poachers. At the beaches we cannot patrol, your donation will provide the funds needed to exchange money for eggs so that we can take the eggs to our sea turtle nurseries where they will be protected by our team of female rangers. When the baby turtles hatch in the nursery, the rangers will safely escort them to the ocean.

Your GlobalGiving gift to this sea turtle project can make a difference as it will help protect a sea turtle nest!  

I hope you are well, and that you have a moment to count your blessings on this wonderful season.  Thank you in advance for your generous gift.

Sincerely,

Sarah Otterstrom, Ph.D.

Executive Director