Fund Vital Sea Turtle Research Missions

Hi everyone! As you may know, I spent the first 2 years of my marine biology career working as a Marine Sea Turtle Specialist researching sea turtle biology and conducting daily morning nesting surveys, nighttime nesting walks, and hatched nest excavations. The primary nesting turtles on Broward County FL beaches are loggerhead sea turtles (~90%), some green sea turtles (~5-10%), and very few leatherback sea turtles (~1%). Research and hands-on fieldwork with leatherback sea turtles is extremely limited in the United States, as leatherback sea turtles are listed globally as an endangered species. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 makes any non-essential human contact with endangered animals illegal.

Now here is where I am asking for your help. There are 2 unpaid mission research trips centered around leatherback, Kemps Ridley, and Pacific green sea turtle conservation and research in Costa Rica, where populations are declining rapidly. One takes place in December of 2024 and another in May of 2025. Both of these trips are priced around $2,000-$2500 (including hostel lodging, meals and safe drinking water, and working facilities) excluding airfare, vaccinations, and travel insurance. I am hoping to fundraise a portion of this trip to contribute to the amazing research going on worldwide and experience conservation fieldwork from a global perspective. I can’t stress enough that there is no donation that is too small or too large. Every $1 helps, even if $1 is all you can spare in this trying economic time. If I am unable to raise enough funds to attend either trip before the closing registration dates, I pledge to donate 100% of the fundraiser proceeds to the conservation groups sponsoring these trips. Anything you are able to contribute will go directly towards sea turtle conservation and salvage.

Thank you for taking the time to read a bit about my favorite creatures on this planet. I hope we can work together to pave a brighter future for marine animals.

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” -Robert Swan