Perreault Magazine - 91 -
HOW BILLION BABY TURTLES WORKS
Billion Baby Turtles supports sea turtle conservation organizations that work to protect sea turtle hatchlings across Latin America. The funds go towards paying local residents to patrol important turtle nesting beaches, protecting turtles that come up to nest, and ensuring that the eggs are protected.
SEE Turtles raises funds for turtle hatchling conservation from individuals, school fundraisers, green businesses, and commissions from our sea turtle tours. The funds are used to cover the costs of hiring local residents to patrol turtle nesting beaches and protecting the turtles and their nests.
At some projects, the cost to protect a hatchling is more than $1, in some places its less. We balance those costs so that the average comes out to at most $1 per hatchling saved.
WHERE DO THE DONATIONS GO?
This funding goes to community-based turtle organizations at key nesting beaches. In addition, the funds are used to build and maintain hatcheries where the eggs are protected until they hatch and are released to the ocean. We also use 10% of the funds to provide scholarships for students to visit turtle conservation projects near their home.
We are starting with our current partners whose work we know intimately and we prioritize nesting beach projects that are newer (less than 5 years old) with less stable sources of funding and more immediate threats like poaching. Learn more about threats to sea turtles here.
WILL YOU REALLY SAVE A BILLION HATCHLINGS?
A billion is a very big number. We will ever reach it? Who knows, but we feel that an ambitious goal is important and that the title will help to draw more attention--it already is! We do know that we can save tens or even hundreds of thousands of turtles over the next year and grow that number every year. We have already saved more than 100,000 hatchlings!
At some projects, the cost to protect a hatchling is more than $1, in some places its less. We balance those costs so that the average comes out to at most $1 per hatchling saved.
www.seeturtles.org