If you love sea turtles, here’s your chance to adopt one! (No, you can’t take them home)

The Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association recently announced their inaugural Adopt-A-Nest program for the 2023 season, which allows you to adopt a sea turtle nest on Gasparilla Island and be a part of protection and conservation efforts.

Adoption donations will help protect and conserve endangered sea turtles. Funds will be used for turtle patrol equipment, bridge passes, educational materials and other activities that promote sea turtle conservation and awareness on Gasparilla Island.

You can use your adoption to promote a business, organization or group as well as celebrate a wedding, graduation, birthday or to remember a loved one. It is great exposure for those walking the beach and will later be displayed in your business or home.

For your $125 tax-deductible donation, you or your designated recipient will receive the following:

• A personalized Certificate of Adoption (a printable adoption certificate will be sent by email once your nest is assigned);

• Listing as a nest adopter on our website at bocagrandeseaturtles.org;

Your Adoption Package (post nest hatch) that includes:

• The sign that was posted on your adopted nest at the beach;

• An 8” x 10” print, hand-signed and numbered with your nest # by the artist; and

• Specific nest hatch information including the species of turtle, when it was laid, when it hatched, and other nest data.

HOW IT WORKS

• Once you adopt a nest, patrollers will assign you one of the current sea turtle nests. A personalized adoption stake with signage noting your name or that of your designee will be placed on a nest during the nesting season. 

• You will receive a notification via email when you are assigned a nest and the sign is placed. The sign will remain on the nest until it hatches, approximately 45 to 50 days after it was laid. After the nest hatches and the data are collected, your sign will be removed and mailed to you along with your adoption package within approximately two weeks.

All nests are assigned on a first-come basis. Sea turtle nests are located from the Gasparilla Lighthouse north to other (TBD) nesting areas that are eligible for the adoption program. Specific locations or nests cannot be honored, due to permits with Florida Fish and Wildlife.

All sea turtle Adopt-A-Nest purchases are symbolic adoptions. No individual or group that participates in the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association adoption program may claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, egg or hatchling. Each adoption is considered a donation to support the Association’s turtle patrol activities.

In the unfortunate event that the nest is lost due to a natural disturbance (such as predation or a natural disaster), there will be no refund. A new nest may be assigned only if available. Please allow the BGSTA Turtle Patrol team at least two weeks after a major natural disturbance event to provide a report on the status of turtle nests. 

Shown above, This past week some hard-working volunteers had the opportunity to train on sea turtle nest inventories.This is a process that allows trained and state-permitted volunteers to determine the success and viability rate of the nest once it has passed the required incubation time period. All work is performed under the required State permit MTP23-123.     

Photo provided by the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association