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KIDO Foundation Environmental Youth Program Carriacou
29 Jun 2016 High North National Park, Carriacou, Grenada, Central and Latin America Education | Marine | Turtles
Conservation of Nesting Leatherback & Hawksbill Turtles Populations and their Habitats in Carriacou Island, Grenada, West Indies
Critically Endangered Leatherback & Hawksbill Turtles Conservation through Nesting Monitoring & Raising Awareness of Biodiversity & Small Island Ecosystems, Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies
Critically Endangered Leatherback & Hawksbill Nesting Turtles Conservation & Advanced Youth Environmental Education in the Island Of Carriacou, Grenada, West Indies
Critically Endangered Nesting Sea Turtles Conservation, Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration and Youth Environmental Education & Conservation Activities in Carriacou, Grenada (W.I.)
To conserve Carriacou endangered sea turtle nesting population & their rich bio-diverse habitats (mangroves/beaches) through monitoring & youth education.
During sea turtle nesting season, from March to December, teams composed of trained local guides and overseas volunteers monitor all night and on early mornings critically endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback turtle population, on Carriacou’s three main nesting beaches (Petit Carenage, Anse La Roche and Sparrow bay), with the aim to protect sea turtles and their eggs from poaching activities, to facilitate their nesting process, to tag them and to collect data (tag numbers, carapace measure, nest location, etc…). During hatching season, the monitoring teams help any struggling hatchling caught under roots in the nest or stranded away from the water.
Local Turtle Guides, along with volunteers, are trained by KIDO following WIDECAST (Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network) protocol procedures in nesting sea turtle monitoring; they are also trained as Nature Guides, offering wider opportunities for locals to be employed by KIDO and/or by the island eco-tourism enterprises.
The educational aspect of this project focuses on young students (9 -16 years) at KIDO Learning Centre, through the development of KIDO Educational Eco-Game and in field trips to the island’s conservation hot-spots. We challenge the youths to think critically and propose solutions for turtle nesting habitat conservation in the context of climate change, using Internet research to acquire pertinent updated scientific information. During nature field-trips, the youths learn about wildlife identification, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem threats and restoration (mangroves, beaches) and are actively involved in:
- red mangrove coastal habitat restoration;
- beach clean-up with garbage classification of debris and Sargassum seaweed collection, removing obstacles hatchlings may encounter in their path from the nest to the sea;
- migratory and resident bird counting and I.D. training sessions in the mangrove Bird Sanctuary area of Petit Carenage and Dover Big Pond (North/East);
- care of resident birds, providing them with housing and water on trees, especially during the long drought season.
- trained school teachers participate in our conservation activities, thus extending the social impact of this educational program.
Social media video featurrig the project.
KIDO Foundation Environmental Youth Program Carriacou