A local turtle preservation group in Bahia de Banderas whose work was curtailed by devastating storms in the summer of 2010 is seeking new funds.
For 15 years, the Litibu Marine Turtle Conservation Group managed the turtle protection program in the north shore area of Litibu and achieved remarkable success under the leadership of biologist Gilberto Galindo Castro. Working without pay and with only a handful of volunteers, Castro patrolled the four Litibu-area beaches each night throughout the six months of the turtle nesting season, collecting nests, relocating them to a corral to protect the eggs from predators and poachers, then releasing the hatchlings safely back to the sea.
From only a handful of hatchlings in the early years, the annual number of hatchlings released had grown to over 25,000 by the 2008/2009 season. But last year’s storms devastated the beaches, destroyed the turtle corral and flooded out the nests, making it impossible for the group to continue its conservation efforts.
In addition, Castro, who worked so tirelessly for so many years, found he was no longer able to devote himself full-time to turtle preservation work.
Thanks to a recent grant from the Punta Mita Foundation, there are short-term funds for a new biologist, but there is a need for new members to help find long-term funding to rebuild the corral and resume nightly beach patrols.
The group needs to purchase an ATV to patrol the beaches, as well as construction materials to rebuild the corral and camp. These include items such as rebar, PVC pipe, galvanized wire, cyclone fence, barbed wire, treated wood, and sand, gravel and cement, Tools and supplies needed include garden brooms, garden rakes, round and rectangular shovels, buckets, blue tarps, flashlights, raincoats, AA batteries, oil, gasoline and communication kits. They also need to fund the salary of their new biologist, who will be in charge of turtle camp activities.
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