Press Release: SEEing turtles on election day!

Where were you on Election Day? Saving sea turtles!

Ten travelers celebrate Election Day ‘08 by working with fishermen to save sea turtles

November 18th, 2008

For immediate release

Contacts:
Brad Nahill, Director, SEE Turtles (brad@seeturtles.org)
Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, California Academy of Sciences (wallacejnichols@mac.com)
Luis Garduño, Baja Expeditions (luis@bajaex.com)

(Photos available upon request)

After a seemingly endless presidential campaign, filled with debates, conventions, and a record number of commercials, 10 adventurous travelers celebrated election day in a creative new way—by camping on a remote island off the Baja California Peninsula, helping to protect endangered sea turtles.

In contrast to the plugged-in, non-stop televised reporting, these dedicated travelers enjoyed a quiet week camping on remote beaches in the Sea of Cortez and Magdalena Bay, knowing that they did their part back at home to elect a new president. “I left Baja feeling relaxed, accomplished, and inspired”, says participant Melissa Bray of Florida.

They will also know that their relaxing vacation is helping to create new hope for protecting turtles in this biological paradise. This inaugural trip to Baja California Sur supports a growing turtle conservation movement. Turtle watching offers an alternative to fishing or poaching for local residents who want to see a future for turtles and themselves in the region.

Read more HERE

SEEturtles.org grows and moves to Ocean Revolution

We are pleased to announce the transition of the SEE Turtles project to Ocean Revolution. SEE Turtles was conceived as a conservation tourism project in Ocean Conservancy's Marine Wildlife Program in April, 2007 and after a successful launch is now ready to take the next step. By transitioning SEE Turtles to Ocean Revolution, we will expand the international reach of the project, in line with Ocean Revolution's mission of inspiring people around the globe to take action to protect ocean wildlife. Brad Nahill will manage the project within Ocean Revolution, joining the organization full time in January, 2009. Dr. Wallace J. Nichols will continue to work with the project, advising on best practices, leading trips to partner sites and reaching out to the public through the media and speaking opportunities.

The last couple of months have been very successful ones for SEE Turtles. The project’s first organized trip to Baja California Sur is happening right now and will result in more than $6,000 raised for local partners. We have had media coverage on the blogs of National Geographic Traveler and the San Francisco Chronicle, and have started a new Facebook group that has grown quickly (you can sign up for the group here).

The SEE Turtles website URL (www.seeturtles.org) will remain the same and it will be transitioned to Ocean Revolution by the end of November. Once the transition is complete, we will continue our current activities, and look into new international markets to increase sea turtle conservation. We will also expand our outreach to ensure the success of the project. Please direct any questions to me at my new email brad@oceanrevolution.org.

-Brad