Billion Baby Turtles Update
This year we are excited to be able to continue supporting most of our current partners and some new projects coming online. In March we participated in the International Sea Turtle Symposium in Pattaya Thailand with the our Program Director Adriana Cortés. It was great to meet many of our turtle friends and partners and to learn about many projects around the world. Adriana was also part of the organization of the symposium as a co–chair of the Volunteer Committee and with the Live Auction team.
Our Dr. Adriana Cortes with our partners from Turtle Foundation - Janin Bartoschek (Turtle Foundation), Tom Amey and Adéla Hemelíková of Ecosystem Impact, and Jatmiko Wiwoho of Yayasan Penyu Indonesia.
So far this year, we have provided 6 grants to local partners in 5 countries, totaling US $32,000 in grants, protecting an estimated 66,000 hatchlings!
Our grants for the first trimester of this year included:
PAMALi, Indonesia
Pamali Indonesia is a not for profit organization working on sea turtle protection and conservation. Their sea turtle nest protection program on Denawan island runs in 2 ways: in situ and in a hatchery. PAMaLi Indonesia relocates nests that are below the high tide line and where there is a high risk of disturbance from animals or humans (human threats include eggs illegally taken, the turtleshell trade, sand mining, bycatch, and plastic pollution). All the nests at risk are relocated into the hatchery. For hawksbill nests, 100% are relocated to the hatchery because they are very vulnerable from predators. With a grant of US$ 5,000 this year, we hope to help more than 22,000 baby turtles get to the ocean.
Green turtle hatchling: Photo courtesy PAMALi
Turtle Love Project, Playa Tres, Costa Rica
Turtle Love runs a community-based conservation project working to protect sea turtles nesting at Playa Tres. This is the second most important nesting beach for green turtles in Costa Rica, in addition to supporting leatherback and hawksbill turtles. Between March and October 2023, the Turtle Love team protected 1,247 nests of green and 60 of leatherback. Thanks to the team's efforts, the illegal taking of nests was reduced from 31% in 2022 to 13% in 2023 for both protected species. With a grant US $5,000, Billion Baby Turtles funds will support the protection of more than 15,000 baby turtles.
Ocean Spirits, Grenada
Ocean Spirits was established in 1999 with the primary mission to conserve the marine environment and associated biodiversity via education, research, and community development. In collaboration with key stakeholders, Ocean Spirits leads conservation efforts for leatherbacks, critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles, and endangered green turtles through preservation of nesting and foraging sites and alleviation of local threats and pressures. This region has high pressure with illegal harvest as well as a dramatic decrease in hatching success for leatherback nests. With US $5,000, we are supporting this project and expect to protect at least 1,000 baby leatherbacks to reach the big blue this upcoming season.
Leatherback returning to the ocean in Grenada: Photo courtesy Kate Charles / Ocean Spirits
Provita, Paria Gulf, Venezuela
Provita has partnered with the biologist Dr. Clemente Balladares to protect sea turtles (especially critically endangered hawksbill turtles) in Venezuela for almost 2 decades. During the 2023 season, this project protected 98 hawksbill and 3 leatherback nests. They were able to maintain the illegal nest collection at only 3%, the most important threat in the area. Billion Baby Turtles supported this project with US $4,400, with these funds, we expect to help our partner to protect more than 2,300 baby turtles for the upcoming season.
Ecosystem Impact, Bangkaru Island, Indonesia
This nonprofit organization works in the Bankaru Islands to protect primarily green turtles and sporadic nesting leatherbacks. In addition to the protection of nesting turtles, Ecosystem Impact develops law enforcement capacity, campaign and advocacy work, community awareness, ranger training, and education. They work with community rangers and campaigns in all the local communities surrounding the project. With US $5,000, our Billion Baby Turtles program supported Ecosystem Impact for this upcoming season, expecting to protect more than 2,300 baby turtles get to the ocean.