Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is hoping all of its supporters will participate in this year’s Giving Tuesday Campaign, which seeks to raise funds for the critical work we are doing as part of our Beachfront Lighting Program in Florida. Giving Tuesday, which occurs the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (December 3 this year), is one day when everyone can join together to make a huge difference!
For Giving Tuesday last year, STC supporters raised $61,000 for STC’s in-water research work in the Gulf of Mexico. STC has set its sights even higher this year, with a goal of raising $62,000 for our Beachfront Lighting Program, which we are confident we can reach thanks to generous pledges from STC’s Board of Directors to match up to $36,000 for every dollar donated.
Sea turtles have crawled onto beaches to nest for millions of years. It was once easy for hatchlings to find the ocean after emerging from nests because the brightest horizon was always the ocean, compared to the darkened dune. Now, Florida’s coasts are lined with beachfront properties that can emit powerful, white light, which can cause sea turtles to crawl toward those lights (misorient) or crawl in circles on the beach (disorient).
After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010, STC has received several grants to retrofit problematic lights with sea turtle friendly alternatives on coastal properties in Florida. STC partners directly with coastal property representatives to manage each lighting retrofit project to completion. Since 2010, STC has worked to eliminate problem beachfront lighting and sea turtle disorientations in Florida, retrofitting lights on nearly 350 beachfront properties and darkening more than 46 miles of beach by retrofitting thousands of bulbs and fixtures.
STC is deeply appreciative of all the support received from various foundations for this project. Our current project needs include funding to: host educational workshops, work with local governments in Florida to improve their management strategies for beachfront lighting, and respond to requests from other states and countries to utilize and learn from our 15 years of lighting experience.
We are hopeful that STC’s members will support the program this Giving Tuesday, when all donations will be matched 1:1 by the STC Board of Directors. With your support, STC will continue darkening beaches to make them safe for sea turtles, while also educating the public and important stakeholders on the importance of wildlife-friendly lighting.
Help support STC’s Giving Tuesday Fundraiser by donating:
Sea Turtle Conservancy
