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Quarterly Connection June 2021

EDUCATE. CONNECT. PROTECT.

Our mission is to protect coastal habitats through educating and connecting people with the environment.

 

 

CCinc now hosts Turtle Walks!

June 4th, 2021 made history for Coastal Connections (CCinc) being the first Turtle Walk hosted by Coastal Connections. We were lucky enough to be graced by a beautiful Loggerhead fairly early in the night. The team named her "June" and she is pictured in the middle photo above. 

We are also excited to announce that all of our Turtle Walk events are completely full! Every Friday in June and July, our team will be scouting for nesting loggerheads in the heart of Vero Beach for 20 eager guests looking to learn more about sea turtles. So far, this has been an amazing experience for all and we cannot wait for what the future has in store for our organization and the opportunities we can build to connect people to the environment. 

These Turtle Walks are made possible by our main event sponsor, RYDER's Gourmet Market, our facility sponsor, Riomar Country Club, and funding from National Save the Sea Turtle Foundation

 
 

Founding Director Kendra Cope releasing a rehabilitated juvenile green turtle rescued by CCinc volunteers and healed by the Brevard Zoo's Sea Turtle Healing Center.

 

Founder's Report

Into the thick of it we go! Nesting in Indian River started on April 1st and our team has been busy every day since. The last three months have been a dream come true for our organization. It started off by getting a permit to host Turtle Walks for the first time, then we partnered with multiple local breweries to bring awareness to our organization and provide fun fundraising options to support sea turtle conservation, and lastly, we have welcomed 12 new volunteers to our team to help us continue growing our impact in Vero Beach, FL.

Every day with this organization is a great one and I am so proud to be able to lead and work beside so many incredible volunteers, community leaders, and passionate supporters. It is because of generous donors, sponsors, and grantors we can continue to create the positive impacts reported in this quarterly newsletter to help sea turtles recover. If you have not had an opportunity to meet our team or join a sea turtle experience, there is no better time than now to get connected.

If you love what we do, we do have opportunities for your support, by giving within your means. Every gift, whether through our Amazon Wishlist or Online Giving is used to support our mission of protecting coastal habitats to help sea turtles recover. 

-- Kendra Cope      

 

2021: By The Numbers

2,923

Total number of nests incubating on Indian River County beaches. This total is made up of 2,735 Loggerheads, 168 Greens, and 20 Leatherbacks. 

4,402

Pounds of debris removed during our Coastal Cleanups throughout IRC.

The most common items included 10,878 cigarette butts, 2,887 plastic pieces, and 1,571 foam pieces. 

510

The pounds of single use wrap/film recycled through our Wrap Program.

This material will be bundled and recycled into outdoor furniture, playground equipment, planking and and more. 

69

Number of volunteers that make CCinc run smoothly. We are beyond thankful for each and every one of you and hope to see this number continue to increase! 

 

Turtle TRACKERS Initiative 

Teamwork, Rescue, Adoption, Conservation, Knowledge, Experience, Research, Stewardship

Initiative programs funded in part by: National Save the Sea Turtle

 

Turtsiops Release  

Coastal Connections, Inc had the privilege of organizing the first public sea turtle release in Vero Beach since the start of COVID. Our community did not disappoint when it came to sending off our little friend back to the big blue world. Turtsiops, a juvenile green turtle, was found washed ashore in Vero Beach by Quintin Bergman, Indian River County's Sea Turtle Specialist, during his morning nesting survey on April 14th.  

Turtsiops was found debilitated, having a number of lacerations on the turtle's carapace (shell). This little turtle was transported by one of CCinc's volunteers to the Brevard Zoo's Sea Turtle Healing Center where Turtsiops was treated for about 2 months. After fast recovery, CCinc and Quintin Bergman were able to send this turtle back home.Turtsiops' release took place on June 16th, 2021 at South Beach Park with the help of over 150 supporters.

To learn more about Turtsiops's recovery story visit https://brevardzoo.org/turtsiops/

Watch Turtsiops' Release 

 

Turtle Talks at Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel & Spa!

Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel recently invited CCinc to host all-new weekly "Turtle Talks" at the hotel for guests. Along with having an educational set-up in the lobby, guests are taken out to the beach to talk about the nest markings right outside the hotel. Our turtle talks are informative for all ages and we hope to continue spreading sea turtle knowledge.   

Summer Camps at McKee Botanical Gardens!

CCinc is also serving as invited experts at McKee Gardens'  Summer Camp. Friday afternoons in June and July, CCinc's summer interns lead hands-on activities teaching kids of varying ages about sea turtles and how they can make a difference in the world to protect them. Each week has been an exciting experience and we can't wait to continue enhancing our youth outreach throughout the summer! 

Girl Scout Badges!

Our sea turtle Programs Coordinator successfully helped three Cadette Girl Scouts achieve their Sea Turtle Badge in May. We are looking forward to working with more Scouts to achieve this fun and interactive environmental badge. 

 

Intern Spotlight

 Meet our Summer Interns of 2021!

 Every summer we take up to two college students as Conservation and Outreach Assistants (interns). These students learn about sea turtles, conservation efforts, and the behind-the-scenes necessities of running a nonprofit organization. Our assistants are a huge help throughout the summer because they lead programs, support volunteer leaders, and develop new and innovative methods to build connections between people and the environment.

Veronica Konarzewski

Luke Sammartino

 Intern "Q and A" 

1. What stood out as special to you about this organization?

Veronica- this internship had so many different aspects that we could be a part of which is what I wanted to learn. I’ve worked with nonprofits before but I wanted to see all the aspects of running a non profit and especially getting to learn and be around sea turtles is just a super extra added plus! 

Luke- the thing that stood out to me the most about this internship is that u wouldn’t just get field experience you would also get experience in the business side of marine conservation.


2. What is your most memorable experience so far working with Coastal Connections, Inc.?

Veronica- My most memorable part of this summer so far was Kendra and I went out to the Archie Carr refuge and she gave me a little run down on what we’d be doing for turtle walks. I’ve never seen adult sea turtles in the wild before nor have I ever seen a sea turtle nesting before so it was a lot of firsts for me that night. I saw my first adult loggerhead and we watched her drop her eggs and it was so breathtaking. Maybe it is extra special because it was my first time doing anything like that, but everything I’ve been experiencing this summer just keeps adding to the list of reasons why I want to work in this field. 

Luke- my most memorable experience is when i released my first turtle back into the ocean after it recovered from its injuries. I honestly don’t know who was happier me or the turtle.


3. What are your dream job and why?

Veronica- This is a super hard question! So I’ve only ever worked with sea turtles and I loved working in sea turtle rehabilitation a few years ago at the Brevard Zoo’s STHC. Visiting them this year made me realize how much I loved working in rehab. On top of working in rehab I also want to dip my toes into working with other types of marine life, especially sharks, stingrays, and cephalopods. I think the best way I can answer this question is saying right out of college I hope to get a job at an aquarium so I can feel around for what I want to do as a career. 

Luke- My dream job is being able to travel and work for national parks all over the US. I never got to live anywhere other than Florida so being able to teach people about animals and the environment at different national parks would be so much fun.

 

Volunteer Spotlight!

Lisa Moreland

 

Wonder Woman

In the summer this lady's super powers shine as she transforms into Wonder Woman for CCinc. Inside of the summertime, Lisa is the Adopt-A-Nest Coordinator always going the extra mile to make sure our Adopters are not just learning more about turtles,  but they are welcomed with open arms by our team. When she is not working hard to make sure our Nest adoptions become the best gift ever, she is coordinating volunteers for weekly sunrise beach cleanups, patrolling on turtle duty, helping with Turtle Walks and Digs, managing and coordinating community tabling events, and lastly going home to craft new fun ideas for CCinc! 

It is an honor to have this Wonder Woman on our team. Our culture would not be the same without her. Please help us in honoring Lisa for her hard work and dedication to protecting sea turtles and CCinc's mission. 

 

Vero Goes Zero Initiative 

Community Sustainability Because Together We Can Make Change

Initiative programs funded in Part By: Endless Summer

 
 

Farmers' Market Recycling - New Program!

Now introducing our newest addition to our Vero Goes Zero initiative! Every Saturday the Oceanside Business Association hosts a Farmers Market right outside Humiston Park. Although CCinc has been supplementing the Farmers Market with bins for the last year, this summer we have officially moved forward in establishing this effort as its own program. We have upgraded our recycle bins and we are moving forward to partner with some of the vendors at the market to help teach patrons about proper recycling habits. Like all of our projects in VGZ, our purpose for this program is to teach proper methods for recycling for our area and reduce the use of single-use plastic materials.   

Beach Basket Program- New Locations and Baskets!

The wait is over! This collaborative project with Indian River County is officially permanent! We soon will be introducing new stations at AmbersandsSeagrape Trail, Turtle Trail, Treasure Shores, and Golden Sands. On top of the addition of new locations, our baskets are getting a total makeover! Indian River County will be replacing the metal-handled baskets with plastic-handled baskets to reduce weathering and rusting. We are thrilled to see this program expanding and improving to provide better experiences to avid beachgoers and trash collectors.    

WRAP Recycling 

Look at the impact of our newest additions! 

The WRAP Recycling Program is a collaborative program with Indian River County's Recycling and SWDD to help collect and recycle single-use plastic film and wrapping material such as grocery bags, cling food wrap, and packaging material. Our team has collected over 500lbs of recyclable WRAP/film material from participating small businesses. 

This program began with three participating businesses: Anthony's Apparel, Purple Plum, and Riomar Country Club. We are happy to be expanding! Meet our newest additions Beach Planet, Corey's Pharmacy, and Beached Whale. We look forward to partnering up with Runner's Depot in the fall.

2021 Stats: 

510.88 pounds of Single-Use Wrap Collected!

  • Anthony's Apparel - 350.19 lbs 
  • Purple Plum - 30.65 lbs
  • Beach Planet - 42.1 lbs 
  • Riomar Country Club - 34.9 lbs
  • Corey's Pharmacy - 20.5 lbs 
  • Beached Whale - 14.74 lbs 
  • Walking Tree Brewery - 9.2 lbs 
  • Chelsea's  Gourmet 8.6 lbs

Interested in having your business joining the WRAP program? Please contact clare@coastal-connections.org

 
 
 

Upcoming Events!   

Turtle Digs happening throughout July & August

  • Date: 3 Days after a nest hatches (stay updated on our website)
  • Location: Ocean Grill 1050 Beachland Blvd. Vero Beach, FL 32963
  • Time: 8am

International Coastal Cleanup Day - September 18th

  • CCinc and the ELC are partnering up! Location TBD

Green Grand Prix - September 25th

  • Join CCinc and Walking Tree Brewery in a Soapbox Race focused on Recycling Education. 

Events are updated all the time and the best place to find out what CCinc is up to next is by visiting our live event calendar.

 

Thank you for subscribing to Coastal Connections' Quarterly Connection where will be updating supporters like you every few months on what programs and projects we are working on, areas we may need your assistance in, and successes to celebrate together! Thank you so much for your interest and support for CCinc. We ask that you please share this newsletter with others and encourage them to sign up for regular CCinc updates. 

Coastal Connections, Inc. 

 info@coastal-connections.org

Please Visit Our Partner - Purple Plum Boutique

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