~  Newsletter No. 257 July,  2023 ~

Hola Volunteers and Supporters ~

We’re off to a good start this season, with 49 nests relocated on the beach, 85 nests placed in the box nursery. Also 8 poached.  First nests to hatch in the box nursery will be September 1st.  By the end of July, we have protected over 11,980 marine turtle eggs.

It is important that we mention this serious dilemma at the beginning of each nesting season, and hopefully before the nests on the beach begin to hatch.  The problem begins when the hatchling popped it head up to the surface for the first time.  Nominally the hatchling would find it inky dark in all directions, although through thousands of years of trial-and-error it has found a way to locate the ocean in all that darkness.  Once it reaches the surface the hatchling will circle the nest site looking in all directions for a pale light created by chemical and bio-illumination   caused as each wave’s brakes.  Once the light is found it will quickly travel in its direction and into the ocean.

Today that simple journey to the sea has been complicated by a stronger artificial light coming from homes and restaurants.  The hatchling will turn in the direction of the stronger light only to die in the heat as the sun comes up that morning.
There is an excellent way that your home or restaurant can have beautiful lighting and at the same time marine turtles and hatchling cannot see the color of amber, red, orange or dark yellow.  Colors that would make your yard more attractive, and if you turn off all outside lights at 10: PM that would help very much.

Our Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest program is a great gift opportunity for the turtle or nature lover in your life!  For more information on the program go to the following link: https://www.project-tortuga.org/adopt-a-nest.html.  Adopting a nest will also help us reach our fundraising goals!

One thing I have not been able to understand, also a point of personal frustration, that has been nagging me for many years.  Why are other environmental groups in town fortunate to receive mage donation up to as much as $100.000.00 dollars a year.  Groups that have less than one-tenth our expenses and work load.  Our marine turtle program needs financial help too.

Here's exciting news for all our donors; Grupo Ecológico has applied for charity status with the IRS in the USA, and has partnered with an existing US charity, Travler.org. This means that starting now, you can take a US 501c3 tax deduction on donations to Grupo Ecológico! We can also offer US corporations and foundations tax exemption on their grants and contributions to Grupo Ecológico. We are waiting for the IRS to approve our own charity status, which may take several months. But starting now, you can still take a tax deduction for your donations to us by making them through Travler, a US charity that has supported Grupo Ecológico for several years. Click on this link to make a tax-deductible contribution to Grupo Eco.

June volunteers and staff:  Elvia Garcia, Karen Sorum and Hallie Loveridge, Colton Dillon, Odette Brunel and Nick Sanders.  If interested, join us by going to our Volunteer application page, and please spread the word about our volunteering opportunity.   Jessica Hiller arrives on August 1st. 

Weather-wise: July days temperatures were in the high 80° to low 90°, while nighttime temps were in the high-80°.  July rainfall was 13.33, for the year, average amount of rainfall by the end of July is normally 12.82 inches.  No tropical storm, depression or hurricane effecting San Pancho.

We value your donations and appreciate your help we’ve received: Fernando Gonzalez Reyes, John Brock, Brenda Garrod, Laura Maria Zambrano, Susan Stephens, Jennifer Nelsen, Lobo Perez-Arce, Patricia Perez-Arce, Johnny Frank, K Dunsdon, Cherilyn, Gale Greer, and Lachlan Fairley.  Without your help our work would be difficult. please help us if you can by contributing at our PayPal site, or for US citizens who want a tax deduction go to the Travler Paypal site and the funds will be forwarded to Grupo Eco.

Keep in mind that San Pancho is at the very bottom of a twenty-five-mile square watershed.  So, you would think we would have plenty of water the year around.  That would be true providing we have sufficient rainfall, and if the plans to build an unlimited number of residents within our watershed is not curtailed.,

The community does not have enough resources to out-flank any developer that has plans to build hundreds of homes and pools in and around San Pancho.  Keep in mind this is not magic, our watershed receives only so much water each year, and every gallon pumped-out outside of San Pancho is a gallon lost.  Mexico has water laws to protect communities like ours, make them work!!

Frank Smith, Director.
Elvia Garcia, Secretary
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Our email is: [email protected]
Our website is: http://www.project-tortuga.org
Adopt a Nest: https://www.project-tortuga.org/adopt-a-nest.html
https://www.facebook.com/ProjectTortuga/
https://www.instagram.com/projecttortugasanpancho/

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Call in advance so we can prepare for your visit!
Please Note that we work at Night so Morning Calls May be Missed.

Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde
102 America Latina,
San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico
Tel: 311-258-4100
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]