The Sea Turtle Connection 

The Connection was born out of an environmental science trip to Costa Rica in 2013. Costa Rica is known as one of the largest nesting grounds for sea turtles, with over 2,000 of them arriving each year. It is also home to all seven kinds of sea turtles, four of them present in Tortuguero but all of them seen regularly. Although my fascination with sea turtles may not have started before the trip, it certainly was concrete after going on a night walk along the beaches in order to see the turtles and their nests. 

 

Sea turtles are an endangered species (protected under two acts in the United States), and this problem carried over into my local area. After some research, I found out that sea turtles in the New England area- especially Cape Cod- were prone to going into cold shock. This is due to them straying off path during the fall and winter months and getting caught up in the cold waters. They will then go into shock and wash up on the beach, most of the times presumed as dead and left alone or put back into the water carelessly. There is little chance of survival for them at this point, but if the right people are called and the turtles get rescued, they have a 95% chance of surviving. 

 

I walked along the beaches of Cape Cod and I realized that the paper signs Mass Audubon had put up could use an upgrade. I got in contact with the Wellfleet division and they were more than happy to help me design new, aluminum signs to put up. 

 

So I created coffee bean bracelets (inspired by the large coffee industry in Costa Rica), sold them in local farmer's markets, and raised well over $300. With this money, four signs were bought and now they reside on beaches in Dennis, MA. Helping to increase awareness and save sea turtles everyday.