Our Lifesaving Work Never Stops, Our Sea Turtles Need Your Help
Dear Friend of Loggerhead Marinelife Center,
During these trying times for all of us,we are thinking of you and hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
During these unprecedented times, it's become clear that humans have a strong connection to nature and wildlife. Our natural world provides us with solace and relaxation and often renews our spirit. As many of you can attest to, visiting a sea turtle patient in-person or virtually can brighten ones day. As much as nature and wildlife provide for us, we must give back in return.
Our work must continue, but we need your help.
With your help our Center serves as a vital resource in providing care for and protecting endangered and threatened sea turtles. Currently, our Center is providing food and critical care for 22 sea turtle patients, including our newest patient, Terra. In the midst of peak sea turtle nesting season, we've monitored and protected over 15,000 nests so far. Eight of these nests belong to a nesting mother named Pappas, who's tied the record for most recorded nests laid in one season by a loggerhead sea turtle.
Additionally, our Center has rescued nesting females entangled in marine debris, who would have returned back into the ocean in a compromised state without our help. As sea turtle nesting season continues, we anticipate receiving more sea turtle patients and hatchlings at our Center. Each summer, we typically receive 1,000 hatchlings that require care before they can return healthy to the ocean.
Every year, you help us accomplish so much. Together in 2019, we:
Cared for and released 112 sea turtle patients back to their ocean home.
Removed 209,000 pieces of marine debris from the environment.
Monitored and protected 20,998 sea turtles nests on our 9.5-mile stretch of beach.
Welcomed over 360,000 guests free of charge on our Campus to learn about our sea turtle patients and their ocean home.
During this time, we need your support to sustain our operations:
Although our Center has experienced extreme financial hardships in light of the pandemic, we know its our responsibility to pursue our mission surrounding sea turtle and ocean conservation. Despite these financial set backs, we've continued to save and protect sea turtles without slowing down - our lifesaving work must and will continue no matter the financial climate. However, we need your help to ensure we safeguard sea turtles and give them the best chance at survival. Today, we challenge you to take a stand for nature and help us provide critical care for endangered and threatened sea turtles.
As ocean stewards, it's our responsibility to help improve the health of our sea turtle patients, oceans, and ultimately ourselves. With the help of our supporters, we know we can keep our mission going strong. We kindly ask that you consider donating at least $25, which covers the cost of a patient's food for one week, to help us offset the costs of food and care for our sea turtle patients. No donation is too small, and all donations contribute to the conservation of sea turtles. With your help, we hope to raise $50,000 by our annual Go Blue Awards on October 23, 2020. These funds will help offset the costs of food and critical care for our sea turtle patients and continue our nesting season conservation efforts.
In an effort to increase awareness for sea turtle conservation, we have elected to host our fundraising campaigns on GoFundMe and Facebook. Both platforms have waived the processing fee to allow nonprofits in need to receive 100% of the monies donated.
Thank you for continuing to make a difference with us! With your support, we can continue to provide lifesaving treatment to our sea turtle patients. We look forward to connecting with you virtually or in-person! Thank you for changing the world with us for the better by helping us heal our 22 patients and monitor and protect 9.5-miles of critical sea turtle nesting beach.
Making Waves of Progress
In 2021, Loggerhead Marinelife Center received, for the eighth consecutive year, the highest ranking available from Charity Navigator. A 4-star rating verifies that LMC exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its area of work. Only 6% of the charities evaluated have received at least 8 consecutive 4-star evaluations. This exceptional designation from Charity navigator sets LMC apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public that the Center adheres to sector best-practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way.
