March 31, 2010

Hello there,

Happy Spring!  We at SEE Turtles are gearing up for a busy summer as we return to visit our friends in Costa Rica.  This month, learn how our tours benefit conservation efforts, check out our Service Learning trip to Costa Rica, help loggerhead turtles, and connect with our social media networks.

Introducing Conservation Pricing

SEE Turtles is the first to offer "conservation pricing", which spells out how much of each trip cost benefits turtle conservation efforts.  We calculate the income to our conservation partners and to turtle communities, which help to show residents that turtles are more valuable alive.  At least 30% of each trip benefits conservation efforts, with an average of nearly 50% of each trip cost going to conservation and communities.  The $150 per person average to conservation is enough to cover the salary of a Costa Rican researcher for 2 weeks.  Learn more about this initiative here and read our press release.

Service Learning Trip for College Students

College students (and recent grads) are invited to join award-winning conservationist Zander Srodes for a volunteer trip to work with two sea turtle nesting beaches in Costa Rica.  Participants will visit two leatherback nesting beaches, helping to patrol the beach and work in the hatcheries.  The trip runs from June 10 - 21 and costs $1,595 per person (includes almost everything but airfare).  Of this, $370 supports conservation and $335 goes to local communities.  Read the full itinerary here.

Help Protect Loggerhead Turtles

The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing to list loggerhead sea turtles as endangered in the US.  This listing will help protect them from entanglement in fishing gear and other threats.  Click here to send a comment letter in support of this listing.

Connect with us on Twitter & Facebook

Want more turtle news and actions you can take to protect turtles?  Join our Facebook group or follow us on Twitter !  Also check out our blog for quirky turtle-related (usually) stories.

Thanks for being part of our network.  Please feel free to contact us with any questions.

-Brad Nahill,
Co-Founder & Director