Within the past several decades there has been an increase in poaching and pollution of the oceans with plastic waste. At the moment the organization is only in Cape Verde and Indonesia but are looking to expand into other areas where turtles are in need of protection for human destruction. The Turtle Foundation is always looking for volunteers to join their cause in making a better environment for turtles. Recently the organization displayed their position on the matter at the Indonesian Sea Turtle Symposium where they had their assessments included in the final statement of the conference. The Turtle Foundation appeals to my personal interests as well as my major. My major is marine biology where I want to work with sea turtles and help the study for the turtles and their ecosystems, as well as help protect them from becoming endangered.
Steps You Can Take to Make a Difference
- Pick a location that suits you the best, currently they are have opportunities in Boa Vista, either on the north side of the island or the south side.
- Make sure you qualify with their requirements, like being 18 or older and willing to cover travel expenses.
- Finally, fill out an application and once approved you can fly our to Boa Vista and start to make a difference in making the ecosystem and turtle wildlife a better place.
Once you get to the island what will happen next?
One of the main issues that arise when looking at sea turtle breeding and the root cause of why they are endangered is that female sea turtles are dying once they come onto the beach to nest their eggs. Even though these sea turtles are protected by laws of Cape Verde, they are hardly enforced. Once you arrive to the island, it will be your job and obligation to help protect these nesting grounds from being overrun by tourists and being damaged by poachers.
The Indonesia Project
The photo provided is an area overview of Indonesia that consists of over 17,000 islands, making it the largest island state in the world. Indonesia is located on the border between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and the tropical seas make a perfect home to a unique diversity of species. Indonesia is known for the famous coral triangle and hosts seven different species of sea turtle within six of the inhabited Indonesian waters and five nesting grounds on its beaches. However, very little is known about the species of sea turtle in Indonesia’s waters compared to turtles of other countries, making them not very protected. This is where the Turtle Foundation steps in and is committed to protecting and learning more about the endangered sea turtles.
The Boa Vista Project
The Turtle Foundation’s second biggest project is in the waters of Boa Vista. The Turtle Foundation started their efforts in Indonesia and took what they learned to Boa Vista to build a successful conservation programs. These programs include environmental education activities, programs to identify and to create alternative income possibilities, and advocating activities among the local government and other stakeholders. However, the efforts of protecting the species and the habitats will forever be a constant battle and the Turtle Foundation still has a long way ahead of them until the loggerhead sea turtles can nest safely on Boa Vista’s beaches and the depleted turtle population can recover.
Within Boa Vista there are five different species of sea turtles that live in the waters. These species include:
- Green turtles (Chelonia mydas)
- Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Olive Ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea)
- Hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta)
https://lookerstudio.google.com/u/0/reporting/f4dae7ea-b181-4a64-a8ad-f3846d40280a/page/cBeGC
Take a quick look at some stats about what the researches at Boa Vista were able to discover. Using the basic information in the link, future researchers can use the statistics in their future experiments or projects.