Gulf Ridley Turtle Help

You've heard about the trouble the Gulf of Mexico has experienced in last years. Many creatures dependent on the Gulf for homes and food have experienced setback due to the spill and it's aftermath.  The Gulf shore is the nesting site for endangered Kemps Ridley Turtles each year and Fernando Manzano and his family have been a strong force behind turtle preservation in the critical Tecolutha area.  While patrolling the beaches for nests to protect in years past Fernando and family found that nesting had dropped from a steadily increasing 800 nests per year to only 450.   This makes finding and protecting each nest even more critical for the next few years.  
Here’s a great video made about Fernando that has been shown around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZDgjHI3EGs#t=160  .  Watching it will give you an idea of the challenges his team faces.

This is where you can help. 

Mid October I'm going to Tecolutha Veracruz Mex, to volunteer on Fernando Manzano's sea Turtle sanctuary, doing what I do best, making vehicles run like clockwork.  I plan to increase the range and reaction time for Fernando's crew to find these nests by improving the reliability of their existing equipment for traversing the beaches.
I’ll be repairing and maintaining four quads, a jeep and a truck that are used daily to scout and transport the Tortuga Lora (Kemps Ridley) sea turtles eggs to a safe place just down the beach where they can be protected to produce many more live healthy babies heading to the sea.

Fernando has been running his sanctuary for 30 years.  When I met him by chance (fate?) during family vacations for both of us and when I heard his conservation need I knew I could make a real difference right now.

To keep costs down he'll be putting me up while I’m there, so all the money you donate goes towards getting me there as inexpensively as possible and to purchase parts for the vehicles.  If you can’t donate money but can donate airline miles, please do.

Thanks much for giving me a boost to use my talents,  this time not just to make engines sing for my two wheeled friends, this time to help more baby turtles return to our oceans.

And thanks for helping fund a dream...
Jason Wallace

 

More about the turtles themselves?
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/healthy-ocean/marine-wildlife/gulf-species/kemps-ridley.html

More about Fernando?
http://www.saveloraturtles.org/content/papa-tortuga