Sea Turtle Safe program
SWOT Small Grants Program
In 2019, the Sea Turtle SAFE Program (STSP) established a Small Grants Program partnership with the Oceanic Society and State of the World’s Sea Turtles (SWOT). Grants are awarded to programs making direct and measurable impacts on sea turtle conservation in their communities by supporting research, conservation and education efforts for the critically endangered Eastern Pacific leatherback and Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Grants are awarded for three categories of proposals: Education & Outreach, Networking & Capacity Building, and Science.
- Grants were made to 32 different groups/individuals working in 7 countries:
- Chile (2)
- Ecuador (1)
- Colombia (3)
- Costa Rica (1)
- Nicaragua (1)
- Mexico (28)
- USA (11)
- 23 grants supported Kemp’s ridley projects
- 23 grants supported Eastern Pacific leatherback projects
Details about specific grants can be found at SWOT Grants — The State of the World's Sea Turtles | SWOT (seaturtlestatus.org)
Adopt-A-Beach
The Playa Cabuyal Project
A major goal of the Sea Turtle SAFE Program is to protect crucial nesting beaches for the Eastern Pacific leatherback. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 had a major impact on beach monitoring and nest protection programs in Costa Rica. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program initiated an emergency funding grant to The Leatherback Trust in support of Playa Cabuyal Nesting Beach Protection for the 2020-21 nesting season.
In 2023, Sea Turtle SAFE Program Plan was able to increase funding at Play Cabuyal, to further expand the conservation efforts.
The intention of the project is to protect nesting beaches for leatherbacks, but the beach protection benefits other species, including green and olive ridley sea turtles. This nesting beach protection model has been named Adopt-A-Beach. The Playa Cabuyal Project was the first Adopt-A-Beach location. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program is working to expand this program to other countries.
Soy Lora (Children's Book)
In 2022, the Sea Turtle SAFE Program worked with the Gladys Porter Zoo to commission a second edition Spanish printing (10,000 copies) of the Soy Lora (I’m Ridley) children’s story and activity book about the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.
The book follows one hatchling as it braves the perils of sandy beaches where people gather, travels across the ocean as it grows, escapes entanglement in ghost fishing gear, and meets other animal species in a rehabilitation center.
These impactful books were developed and printed in Mexico and have been distributed to educators and conservation groups in local fishing communities and neighborhoods near Kemp’s ridley nesting beaches in Tamaulipas, Mexico, the primary nesting area for the entire population.
The Sea Turtle SAFE Program is also working on an English version of the book for fundraising through sales in retail stores of Program Partners and other AZA members.
I´m Ridley
The story of a Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle. A tiny newborn sea turtle and his adventure on the big sea.
Meetings, Symposiums, and Ongoing Research
The Sea Turtle SAFE Program recognizes the importance of being connected to the national and international sea turtle science and conservation community. Regional and international symposiums create channels for building community, sharing information, and furthering conservation.
Sponsorship support was provided to the 2023 Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting in Orange Beach, Alabama and for the 41st International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS) in Cartagena, Colombia. Support was also provided for the working meeting of the Eastern Pacific Leatherback Conservation Network (Red Laúd OPO) at ISTS. The Sea Turtle SAFE Program was also a contributing partner for the Team BEACH workshop Creating Behavior Change Campaigns for Sea Turtle Conservation.
