We’re Yankey (Ghana), Anna (UK), and Nat (USA), and together we’re launching the Nkyene Turtle Project – a grassroots conservation initiative led by and for the coastal communities of Ghana.

We aim to safeguard sea turtles where they nest, while building a conservation movement that empowers and includes the very communities sharing these shores.

Why This Matters:

Ghana’s beaches are nesting sites for olive ridley, green, and leatherback sea turtles. But every nesting season, these endangered animals face serious threats from poaching to pollution.

We believe the solution lies not just in protecting turtles, but in empowering people. That’s why we’re creating a community-led conservation project, one that combines local knowledge, international support, and long-term education.

Yankey is a trusted member of the community and has been passionate about turtle conservation for years. He has built schools, bridges, and homes in the area, and for the past several nesting seasons has been on a one-man mission to protect sea turtles. He has been relocating eggs, guiding hatchlings to the ocean, saving adult turtles from poachers and raising awareness all without formal backing or funding.

While Yankey has been leading the way on the ground, Anna and Nat bring experience in sea turtle conservation, fieldwork, and scientific research. Now, we’re coming together, combining local knowledge, hands-on experience, and scientific expertise to launch the Nkyene Turtle Project: a collaborative effort to protect turtles, empower communities, and begin collecting much-needed data in this under-researched region.

We’re currently raising funds to launch our first full turtle season. Your donation will directly help us to:

Build our first hatchery -a safe space for relocated nests that also serves as an educational hub for schools and the wider community

Buy beach patrol equipment - buckets for eggs, GPS units, measuring tapes, PIT tags, data sheets, and more

Buy camera traps - As a small team, we can’t be everywhere at once. Camera traps will allow us to monitor multiple beaches at the same time, helping us understand nesting activity, predator presence, and poaching threats even when we’re patrolling elsewhere.

Create signs and educational tools – We'll design and install signs along nesting beaches to raise awareness, and develop engaging educational materials for schools and community events to inspire local conservation leadership from an early age

Your Support = Local Impact:

This is not a top-down project. It’s about supporting a movement already happening on the ground, and building something sustainable together.

By supporting us now, you’re joining this journey at the very start – helping to shape a project that will grow with the community and create a long-lasting impact for both people and turtles.

Every donation, whether it’s £/$5 or £/$50, goes directly toward community-led conservation. But even if you can’t donate, you can still make a huge difference by sharing our campaign and helping us reach others who care.

Thank you for being here, for believing in this, and for joining us on this journey.

We’re so excited to build this with you.

With gratitude,

Yankey, Anna & Nat

The Nkyene Turtle Project