Grant from BoatUS Foundation will Promote Safe and Clean Boating for Marine Life
Loggerhead Marinelife Center Receives Highly Competitive Grant Funding
Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) has received a Grassroots Grant from the BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. This highly competitive, annual grant program is designed to help nonprofit groups, associations, organizations and other waterway users spread the message about safe and clean boating practices.
“Working with smaller boating nonprofits like this enables us to focus on issues specific to local waterways,” said Alanna Keating, Grant Coordinator for the BoatUS Foundation. Since 1988, the Foundation has awarded $1.1 million in grants to fund projects that promote responsible boating on a local level.
This year, the grant program attracted dozens of applicants from around the country. Loggerhead Marinelife Center was one of only three organizations to receive funding. The center will use the money for the newly launched Responsible Boater Initiative.
The Responsible Boater Initiative is a first-of-its kind program targeted towards recreational boaters in south Florida. The goal of the program is to promote clean, safe boating, fishing and diving practices, specifically as it relates to sea turtles in local waterways. Educational workshops for recreational boaters will be set-up throughout south Florida. Participants will receive a “Safe for Sea Turtles” certification and sticker, along with a personal monofilament recycling container, marine life resource packet and waterproof marine ID/signage for their boat. In addition, LMC will partner with local boat marinas and docks to provide educational signage and monofilament recycling containers. This program and supplies will be offered free of charge to interested parties.
“We’ve identified recreational boaters as a group with a desire to help protect local waterways and engage in environmentally responsible activities,” said Tommy Cutt, LMC Chief Conservation Officer. Cutt explained that in Palm Beach County alone, there are over 4,200 registered recreational boats. “We are excited about the opportunity to expand our educational message to the local boating community and begin working together to protect sea turtles and our local coastal environments,” he added.
If you’re interested in bringing the Responsible Boater Initiative to your local marina or scheduling a workshop in your area, please contact Tommy Cutt, LMC Chief Conservation Officer, at [email protected].
About BoatUS Foundation:
The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit education and research organization primarily funded by the voluntary contributions of the 500,000 members of BoatU.S. The Foundation operates more than a dozen programs including the only accredited, free, online general boating safety course, a low-cost EPIRB rental program, a free kid’s Life Jacket Loaner Program, and has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants for nonprofit groups for boating safety and environmental projects.
About Loggerhead Marinelife Center:
Loggerhead Marinelife Center, a non-profit organization, is committed to the conservation of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through public education, research and rehabilitation with a focus on threatened and endangered sea turtles. The center features an on-site campus hospital, learning exhibits and aquariums. Situated on one of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches, Loggerhead Marinelife Center is open daily and hosts over 225,000 visitors each year. For more information, visit www.marinelife.org or call 561-627-8280.