Monday, April 6, 2009

Protecting Sea Turtles to Promote Eco-tourism

We've officially launched our sea turtle program in the Rivas province, and La Prensa picked it up to share the story with the rest of Nicaragua.

The campaign, designed to protect critically endangered sea turtles who nest on the beaches of Nicaragua, include environmental education, water conservation, eco-tourism, and local development. It also includes a sea turtle incentive payment program described by country director Liza González:

Es un programa de incentivos. Si hay un comunitario que normalmente se llevaba los huevos de ese nido, entonces el programa va a apoyarlo, si él quiere proteger ese nido va a recibir un incentivo por protección, ese incentivo es equivalente a lo que él ganaría si vendiera los huevos.


The sea turtle payment program offers financial incentives for communities, where turtle eggs were often harvested (or poached) before they hatched, to protect the turtle nests. We pay individuals and make community grants for every protected nest and every turtle hatchling who makes it to the sea.

To support this program, buy one of our sea turtle shower timers, designed to remind you of a very good reason to conserve water.

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