AMA Estancia Update, November 2016

During the 2016 nesting season (August - January), our sea turtle conservation efforts have been a resounding success at AMA Estancia. In our second year of the program we have built a turtle nursery and collaborated with local biologists, local government and volunteers to protect eggs from poachers and manage the nursery. Only 1 in 1,000 sea turtle hatchlings will survive until adulthood, and our anti-poaching efforts and protected nursery work to help increase these odds.

This structure has allowed us to record important scientific data on the species and characteristics of sea turtles visiting our beaches, and the hatching rates of the nests that we manage. So far this year we have relocated and protected Olive Ridley and Green Turtles categorized as vulnerable and critically endangered, respectively, by The IUCN Red List.

The conservation program extends beyond our beaches into the local community, where we host visits by local schools so children can learn about conservation firsthand. Our year will close with a series of lectures and events in the local town of Pedasi that allow local residents to collaborate with our scientific team to protect sea turtles who nest on all the local beaches.