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Marine Turtle Conservation Dedicated to the Protection and the Conservation of Endangered Marine Turtles for the last 33 Years! |
~ Newsletter No. 281, July 2025 ~
Hola Volunteers and Supporters –
🐢 Update from Turtle Camp
July arrived with wild weather, incredible teamwork, and steady progress toward our goals. Here’s a look at what’s been happening and how you can help as we dive into peak nesting season. (August has kicked off with plenty of excitement! Don’t miss next month’s newsletter for all the details.)
July arrived with wild weather, incredible teamwork, and steady progress toward our goals. Here’s a look at what’s been happening and how you can help as we dive into peak nesting season. (August has kicked off with plenty of excitement! Don’t miss next month’s newsletter for all the details.)
🌊 Riverbed Cleanup: Over 2 Tons Removed!
A huge shout-out to Elvia, Entreamigos, our amazing volunteers, and other dedicated members of the community who joined forces to remove over 2 tons of garbage from the riverbed this year before the rains started! Cleaning the river before the seasonal rains is critical—once the water starts flowing, anything left behind is swept straight into the ocean, threatening our turtles, other marine life, and polluting our coastline. It’s incredible to see how much we can accomplish together. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made a difference!
A huge shout-out to Elvia, Entreamigos, our amazing volunteers, and other dedicated members of the community who joined forces to remove over 2 tons of garbage from the riverbed this year before the rains started! Cleaning the river before the seasonal rains is critical—once the water starts flowing, anything left behind is swept straight into the ocean, threatening our turtles, other marine life, and polluting our coastline. It’s incredible to see how much we can accomplish together. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made a difference!
☔ Wild Weather, Tsunami Scares & Brave Patrols
From Hurricane Flossie’s outer bands dropping rain to a tsunami scare that had us on alert, it’s been a dramatic month. Despite the chaos, our amazing team patrolled through the storms—even having some fun suiting up for the downpours. On the night of the tsunami alert, we safely left the beach early after recovering 5 nests and recording 2 false crawls. Safety always comes first, and we’re proud of our team’s calm and professional response.
We were especially concerned about how the nests on the beach would hold up—but were relieved when the tsunami turned out to be a non-issue for them here. Even better, the little ones began hatching right on time.
From Hurricane Flossie’s outer bands dropping rain to a tsunami scare that had us on alert, it’s been a dramatic month. Despite the chaos, our amazing team patrolled through the storms—even having some fun suiting up for the downpours. On the night of the tsunami alert, we safely left the beach early after recovering 5 nests and recording 2 false crawls. Safety always comes first, and we’re proud of our team’s calm and professional response.
We were especially concerned about how the nests on the beach would hold up—but were relieved when the tsunami turned out to be a non-issue for them here. Even better, the little ones began hatching right on time.
🌿 Nursery Drama & Recovery
Our greenhouse nursery hit a setback this month when the wrong tree was trimmed—causing a branch to fall and crush our carefully constructed rain tarp system. Fortunately, Nick jumped into action and got everything back up and running in no time. We reinforced the setup with an extra wooden beam after the metal one bent under the pressure. While our rain “waterfalls” are now slightly off-center as they water the plants, the system is still working well—thanks to quick thinking and a fast recovery effort. (Click HERE to see the final raising of the shade cloth)
Our greenhouse nursery hit a setback this month when the wrong tree was trimmed—causing a branch to fall and crush our carefully constructed rain tarp system. Fortunately, Nick jumped into action and got everything back up and running in no time. We reinforced the setup with an extra wooden beam after the metal one bent under the pressure. While our rain “waterfalls” are now slightly off-center as they water the plants, the system is still working well—thanks to quick thinking and a fast recovery effort. (Click HERE to see the final raising of the shade cloth)
🐣 Nesting Season Snapshot
We are closing in on 200 nests safely relocated into our greenhouse nursery and 16 more still hatching on the beach. Please help us protect them:
• Keep the beach dark
• Fill in sand holes
• Do not touch hatchlings or try to help them to the sea
Every small action makes a difference.
We are closing in on 200 nests safely relocated into our greenhouse nursery and 16 more still hatching on the beach. Please help us protect them:
• Keep the beach dark
• Fill in sand holes
• Do not touch hatchlings or try to help them to the sea
Every small action makes a difference.
🛻 New ATV: Thank You & We Still Need Help
We’re incredibly grateful to have a new ATV to patrol the beaches—thank you to everyone who helped make that happen! This vehicle is an essential tool: we can’t physically carry the number of nests we relocate by hand, and it’s critical for getting volunteers off the beach quickly during dangerous lightning events. It also gives us a real chance at outpacing poachers during this peak nesting season.
That said, we’re still working to pay it off and could really use your support. A huge shoutout to everyone who has contributed to our ATV fund—especially for the incredibly generous $1,000 USD donation from Nathan Humphrey in honor of volunteer Jen Teal’s birthday. Every dollar helps, and we’re also deeply thankful to Maxine Crozier, Bev & Brian Veaudry, Stacy Sargeant, Adah Ardyson, Jorge PS, Tiernan Richardson, Dan Smith and Tracy Judge for their support. As of now, we still have $5,650 left to raise.
👉 [GoFundMe]
Every donation keeps us moving—literally.
Meanwhile, our old ATV continues to act up despite repeated repairs. Volunteers Eric, Karen, and Hallie are doing their best to troubleshoot and keep it running without racking up more costs. After it was returned to us “fixed,” the tire plug blew out, another hole appeared, and then—about a week later—the original issue came back. We’re now waiting on a new clutch puller tool and Bendix to arrive so we can hopefully replace the necessary parts.
Our hopes of having two working ATVs for August’s peak nesting weeks will have to wait until September.
We’re incredibly grateful to have a new ATV to patrol the beaches—thank you to everyone who helped make that happen! This vehicle is an essential tool: we can’t physically carry the number of nests we relocate by hand, and it’s critical for getting volunteers off the beach quickly during dangerous lightning events. It also gives us a real chance at outpacing poachers during this peak nesting season.
That said, we’re still working to pay it off and could really use your support. A huge shoutout to everyone who has contributed to our ATV fund—especially for the incredibly generous $1,000 USD donation from Nathan Humphrey in honor of volunteer Jen Teal’s birthday. Every dollar helps, and we’re also deeply thankful to Maxine Crozier, Bev & Brian Veaudry, Stacy Sargeant, Adah Ardyson, Jorge PS, Tiernan Richardson, Dan Smith and Tracy Judge for their support. As of now, we still have $5,650 left to raise.
👉 [GoFundMe]
Every donation keeps us moving—literally.
Meanwhile, our old ATV continues to act up despite repeated repairs. Volunteers Eric, Karen, and Hallie are doing their best to troubleshoot and keep it running without racking up more costs. After it was returned to us “fixed,” the tire plug blew out, another hole appeared, and then—about a week later—the original issue came back. We’re now waiting on a new clutch puller tool and Bendix to arrive so we can hopefully replace the necessary parts.
Our hopes of having two working ATVs for August’s peak nesting weeks will have to wait until September.
⚡ Power Struggles & A Big Thank You
With town-wide power issues becoming more frequent, we’re working to buy a generator to run the fans and heaters for our hatchlings. A massive thank you to long time returning volunteers Kiley Branson and Tyler Oien for their $1,000 donation toward that purchase! We plan to order it very soon and keep the nursery climate-safe.
With town-wide power issues becoming more frequent, we’re working to buy a generator to run the fans and heaters for our hatchlings. A massive thank you to long time returning volunteers Kiley Branson and Tyler Oien for their $1,000 donation toward that purchase! We plan to order it very soon and keep the nursery climate-safe.
🏡 Housing Available: Volunteers Needed!
We’re heading into our busiest season and could use more hands in August and September!
We have housing available for volunteers able to join us short or long term. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please reach out or apply here:
👉 [Volunteer Here]
We’re heading into our busiest season and could use more hands in August and September!
We have housing available for volunteers able to join us short or long term. If you’re interested or know someone who might be, please reach out or apply here:
👉 [Volunteer Here]
🙌 Volunteer Thanks
To all of our July volunteers— Nick Sanders (UK), Hallie Loveridge (USA), Karen Sorem (USA), Dee Covington (USA), Trish Schmidt (USA), Odette Brunel (Mexico), Ulises Ledesma González (Mexico), Maryel Noé (Mexico), Elvia García (Mexico), Adriana Pliego (Mexico), Lorena Villanueva (Mexico), Kevin Abdale (UK) Alex Sage (USA), Lola Tiffany (USA), Cat Reed (USA), Josefina Torres (Chile), Natalia Ximenez (Uruguay), Jen Teal (Mexico), Travis Laurendine (USA), Jody and Brad Gorski (Canada), Chito - Ignacio Maldonado Alegría. (Mexico), Julio Alpizar (Mexico), Marcos Pérez Maldonado (Mexico), Kiley Branson (USA), Víctor Rodríguez Arias (Mexico), María Fernanda García Téllez (Mexico), Eric and Lisa Pingrey (USA), Camila Moreno (Mexico), Augustine Botha (South Africa), Annie Botha (South Africa), and Natalia Mendez (Mexico) —thank you for showing up, riding out the storms, troubleshooting vehicles, fixing nursery tarps, collecting nests in rain-soaked gear, and supporting each other along the way. You are the heart of this project.
To all of our July volunteers— Nick Sanders (UK), Hallie Loveridge (USA), Karen Sorem (USA), Dee Covington (USA), Trish Schmidt (USA), Odette Brunel (Mexico), Ulises Ledesma González (Mexico), Maryel Noé (Mexico), Elvia García (Mexico), Adriana Pliego (Mexico), Lorena Villanueva (Mexico), Kevin Abdale (UK) Alex Sage (USA), Lola Tiffany (USA), Cat Reed (USA), Josefina Torres (Chile), Natalia Ximenez (Uruguay), Jen Teal (Mexico), Travis Laurendine (USA), Jody and Brad Gorski (Canada), Chito - Ignacio Maldonado Alegría. (Mexico), Julio Alpizar (Mexico), Marcos Pérez Maldonado (Mexico), Kiley Branson (USA), Víctor Rodríguez Arias (Mexico), María Fernanda García Téllez (Mexico), Eric and Lisa Pingrey (USA), Camila Moreno (Mexico), Augustine Botha (South Africa), Annie Botha (South Africa), and Natalia Mendez (Mexico) —thank you for showing up, riding out the storms, troubleshooting vehicles, fixing nursery tarps, collecting nests in rain-soaked gear, and supporting each other along the way. You are the heart of this project.
💛 Donor Appreciation
To our monthly donors, first-time givers, and those who made big contributions this month—Claudia Kroberger, Medafore.com, Bob Cole, Fay Chan, K Dunsdon, Jen Teal, and Cat Reed & Kenichi Shoji—we couldn’t do this without you. We've had an expensive month here at turtle camp, and your generosity fuels our ATVs, protects our hatchlings, and keeps this work alive. Thank you. Also, a big congratulations to newlyweds Jack and Kathryn Fornaciari, and a heartfelt thank you to them and their generous wedding guests for contributing $1,000 to support our marine turtle conservation work!
This list reflects those supporting our ongoing operations—covering essentials like fuel, repairs, gear, and volunteer needs. (ATV fundraiser donors were acknowledged separately earlier, and we’re grateful to each and every one of you.)
We also want to acknowledge that Amazon has changed its rules for shipping imported items to Mexico, and some of you are having trouble accessing or ordering from our Amazon Mexico and USA wishlists. We’re currently looking into a workaround and hope to have a solution soon. Your support through the wishlists have always made a big difference, and we truly count on you. Please let us know if you have already figured out this issue.
To our monthly donors, first-time givers, and those who made big contributions this month—Claudia Kroberger, Medafore.com, Bob Cole, Fay Chan, K Dunsdon, Jen Teal, and Cat Reed & Kenichi Shoji—we couldn’t do this without you. We've had an expensive month here at turtle camp, and your generosity fuels our ATVs, protects our hatchlings, and keeps this work alive. Thank you. Also, a big congratulations to newlyweds Jack and Kathryn Fornaciari, and a heartfelt thank you to them and their generous wedding guests for contributing $1,000 to support our marine turtle conservation work!
This list reflects those supporting our ongoing operations—covering essentials like fuel, repairs, gear, and volunteer needs. (ATV fundraiser donors were acknowledged separately earlier, and we’re grateful to each and every one of you.)
We also want to acknowledge that Amazon has changed its rules for shipping imported items to Mexico, and some of you are having trouble accessing or ordering from our Amazon Mexico and USA wishlists. We’re currently looking into a workaround and hope to have a solution soon. Your support through the wishlists have always made a big difference, and we truly count on you. Please let us know if you have already figured out this issue.
Want to Help?
Every contribution helps us continue our mission. Please consider volunteering, donating or checking out our wish lists:
Volunteer Here
Donate via PayPal
Donate via Venmo
GoFundMe
Amazon US Wishlist HERE
Amazon MX Wishlist HERE
Donors from the U.S. can make a meaningful impact and receive a tax deduction, thanks to our nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status. Thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible!
Every contribution helps us continue our mission. Please consider volunteering, donating or checking out our wish lists:
Volunteer Here
Donate via PayPal
Donate via Venmo
GoFundMe
Amazon US Wishlist HERE
Amazon MX Wishlist HERE
Donors from the U.S. can make a meaningful impact and receive a tax deduction, thanks to our nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status. Thank you to everyone who helps make this work possible!
☔ Frank’s Weather-wise:
Daytime temperatures were mostly in the low to high 80°s to very low 90°s, while night time temps were mostly in the mid 70°s. Rainfall for July came to 12.67 inches. Rainfall for the year came to 29.00 inches. Humidity for July averaged around the mid 70%.
Daytime temperatures were mostly in the low to high 80°s to very low 90°s, while night time temps were mostly in the mid 70°s. Rainfall for July came to 12.67 inches. Rainfall for the year came to 29.00 inches. Humidity for July averaged around the mid 70%.
This month's photos are compliments of all of our volunteers.
Follow Us
If you’re looking to stay updated on our future work and impact, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
With your help, every small action adds up to a big impact—thank you for standing with us.
If you’re looking to stay updated on our future work and impact, follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
With your help, every small action adds up to a big impact—thank you for standing with us.
Jessica Schmidt, Director
Frank Smith, Technical Advisor
Elvia García, Secretary
Karen Sorum, Treasurer
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C.
Our email addresses are: [email protected]
and [email protected]
Our website is: https://www.project-tortuga.org/
Our Instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/projecttortugasanpancho/
For new volunteers: https://www.project-tortuga.org/handbook.html
Our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectTortuga
Contributions: https://www.project-tortuga.org/contribute.html
Adopt A Nest: https://www.project-tortuga.org/adopt-a-nest.html
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Visit our PayPal page HERE
Come Visit our Turtle Nursery!
Call in advance so we can prepare for your visit!
Please Note that we work at Night so Morning Calls May be Missed.
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Grupo Ecologico de la Costa Verde
102 America Latina, San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico Tel: +1 262 497 6671 Email: [email protected] [email protected] |