The turtle season has begun early, and in earnest, on Maio island. By the end of June, we had already seen around 1000 nests, which is many more than in an average year. We are proud to be recipients of the Fauna & Flora International (FFI) Partner Crisis Support Fund during these unprecedented times.
This year will be a very busy one for the turtle team and the communities that support us, so that we can continue to protect the turtles of Maio which are an important part of the island’s culture and identity, not to mention an important part of the ecosystem.
It will also be a difficult year for the people of Maio because of the coronavirus lockdown, a pervasive drought and the increase of unemployment, which makes the tasks of protection of beaches and the economic support to the families even more important.
FFI’s Partner Crisis Support Fund has meant that we are able to keep enough guards to cover 100% of the nesting beaches on the island throughout the season, and has also contributed to FMB’s Homestay program, which is an initiative that enables female heads of households to host turtle guards and volunteers – providing an alternative source of income for those families.
Now more than ever – we’re all in this together.
Read more about the grant on the FFI website here.
If you would like to help support FMB in this difficult and unpredictable time, and with our mission of protecting the island of Maio’s beautiful biodiversity whilst creating opportunities for the people of Maio, please consider donating through the link below. Thank you!