ABOUT SEA TURTLE FOUNDATION
Purpose: Turtles for tomorrow
Vision
We envision a world where sea turtles swim safely through healthy oceans, their habitats are protected, and their future is secure.
Values
Education and Empowerment: We believe in the power of knowledge to inspire change and empower communities to take action.
Scientific Integrity: We base our actions and advocacy on sound science, research and evidence-based practices.
Passionate advocate: We act with courage and integrity
Collaboration: We work together with partners, communities and governments to achieve lasting conservation impact.
Solution focussed: We promote new and innovative ways of achieving lasting impact.
Corporate Objectives
Education – working with communities to build understanding and reduce behaviours that harm turtles.
Advocacy – providing the 'voice of sea turtles' on priority topics (marine debris and plastic, light pollution, coastal development, beach nets) – across all states.
Research – supporting new scientific research that improves long term conservation outcomes.
Action – conducting actions to improve the outcomes for sea turtles (e.g beach clean ups prior to nesting season)
Partnering - participating in state / local issues throughout Australia impacting sea turtles with like minded organisations
Sea Turtle Foundation is a non-profit, non-government organisation that protects and conserves highly endangered sea turtles through research, education and action. We are the only Australia wide organisation dedicated solely to the protection of sea turtles.
Our vision is a world where sea turtles swim safely through healthy oceans, their habitats are protected and their future is secure. We have been applying evidence-based science, transformative education and powerful advocacy to provide a voice for sea turtles since 2001.
Sea turtles face many threats from changes in climate, loss of nesting habitat, increased ocean pollution, and deliberate and accidental deaths caused by fishing activities around the world. These factors combined are pushing many of the world’s populations of sea turtles toward extinction.
With all 6 sea turtle species in Australia either rated as Vulnerable or Endangered, it is more important than ever that we minimise human impact on these beautiful ocean creatures and guarantee their future.
History
The Sea Turtle Foundation was formed back in 2001 when a group of turtle biologists and concerned volunteers formed the ‘Indo-Pacific Sea Turtle Conservation Group’. Their initial goal was to address research gaps and develop strategies to reduce threats to sea turtles in the north Queensland region. In 2007, the group became a formal company and changed its name to the Sea Turtle Foundation. In the ensuing years, Sea Turtle Foundation has expanded its activities to a national level and continues to grow, completing projects based on key focus areas of Education, Advocacy, Research and Action.
EDUCATION
Turtle Volunteer Group – Stranding Training
Sea Turtle Foundation has partnered with the Queensland Government Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation for a number of years to provide turtle stranding training and other support services to the large number of volunteer turtle groups throughout Queensland. This training equips these volunteers with the skills required to support their local turtle populations
Education Talks
Sea Turtle Foundation’s Education Officers bring the sea turtle story into the classroom and to the general public at major events.
Public Information
The Foundation develops and distributes codes of conduct and fact sheets to educate and help minimise the harmful effects of human interaction on sea turtles.
ADVOCACY
The Foundation provides the ‘voice of the sea turtle’ on human caused issues that negatively impact their life expectancy. The current high priority advocacy topics include:
- Climate change
- Habitat loss (coastal and offshore)
- Beach nets / ghost nets
- Bycatch
- Pollution (plastic and other)
- Vessel strikes
- Light pollution
The Foundation advocates to Governments at all levels, and corporations either individually or by partnering with other aligned organisations to improve outcomes for sea turtles.
RESEARCH
The Foundation has been involved in a number of research projects throughout Australia. The outcomes of these projects improved the understanding of the sea turtle life cycle, and provided inputs into initiatives to reduce threats and implement effective management strategies.
Our current focus is to support new Australian and Pacific scientific research that improves long term conservation outcomes.
ACTION
The Sea Turtle Foundation takes a range of actions to protect sea turtles. The most visible are our regular beach clean-ups. These clean-ups occur on beaches frequented by nesting turtles to ensure the conditions for nesting are optimal.
We also respond to stranded or injured turtle calls from the public, or where we can’t assist, redirect them to their closest volunteer group.