The new bilingual Grupo Tortuguero (or Sea Turtle Conservation Network) website has just launched! Visit the site to find information, resources and photos pertaining to the work that the network does, as well as general information about sea turtles and the ongoing efforts aimed at bringing these magical creatures back from the brink of extinction. When visiting the site, you’ll discover how the GT functions and learn about some of the projects we have been working on, including education and outreach, community monitoring of sea turtles and nesting sites, and scientific studies.

For those interested in getting involved in sea turtle conservation, this website will show you how you can help! Resources are available for students and teachers who want to incorporate sea turtle conservation into their school curriculum. You can sign up for the GT listserv to receive updates on GT projects, information about upcoming events, and an invitation to the Annual Conference of the Grupo Tortuguero.

The website is an ongoing project, so new information, photo galleries, and documents will be periodically posted, and suggestions for improving the site are welcomed. Please take a moment to browse http://www.grupotortuguero.org today!

Contributing authors and photo courtesy of Julio Solis and Pearl Ly The third annual San Carlos sea turtle festival held on March 26th was a smashing success! The festival opened with the inauguration of the new Natural History Museum. Both kids and adults loved the interactive displays and the invertebrate touch tank. Students and staff from the School for Field Studies (SFS) hosted different environmentally themed booths with face painting, coloring and games, as well as held contests for the best drawings, stories and sand sculptures of sea turtles. A Turtle Festival King and Queen were crowned, each earning their title by collecting the most recyclable trash from the town. The games and activities culminated with local students from the elementary school of Puerto Magdalena performing four traditional dances for festival participants.

In conjunction with the festival, a responsible fishing and sea turtle conservation workshop was held for fishermen from Bahia Magdalena. Presenters from across Baja California, mainland Mexico, the U.S., universities, government and non-profit organizations came together to present on topics such as Responsible Fishing Practices, The Latin American Fisherman Program to Reduce Sea Turtle Mortality, Politics and Guidelines for Inspection and Vigilance for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles, and The Experiences of the Grupo Tortuguero in the Conservation of Sea Turtles in B.C.S.

The highlight of the festival was a demonstration, put on by Rodrigo Rangel and students from SFS, of the turtle monitoring done by the communities within the Grupo Tortuguero. Participants watched as measurements were taken, turtles were weighed, and other data was collected from four black turtles captured for the monitoring for the month of March. The festival came to an end with a community release of the four black turtles and their ceremonious return to the ocean.

To view photos from the festival, click here.

Visit our campaign site and let your voice be heard! In this photo, Tijuana residents march in a coordinated national effort opposing construction of LNG facilities. http://www.propeninsula.org/campaign/1/1.html

Various substances and organisms can be found in the oceans that can in turn alter the health of sea turtles, as well as negatively affect the health of human beings. Science has now shown that due to the presence of these harmful substances in sea turtles, there are various health risks and possible illnesses that humans may acquire after eating sea turtle meat and eggs. On Thursday, March 17, 2005, a press conference was held in Los Arcos Hotel in La Paz to announce the launch of a new public health campaign, “Sea Turtles and Your Health: Information for people who consume sea turtle meat and eggs in northwestern Mexico.” This public health information campaign is based on a review of relevant scientific/medical literature compiled by Jesse Marsh, and the scientific/medical expertise of the campaign’s advisory council.

Campaign representatives who presented the press conference included: Stephen Delgado and Rodrigo Rangel (Coordinators) and Dr. Susan Gardner, Dr. Amaury Cordero, and Dr. Lucila Olvera Santana (Advisory Council members). The purpose of the press conference was two-fold: first, to announce to the general public the launch of the public health campaign, and, second, to encourage the participation of the Secretary of Health of Baja California Sur and the College of Medical Surgeons in the campaign. The press conference was successful in achieving both of these objectives.

Project partners, in addition to those in the medical field, include Blue Ocean Institute, CIBNOR, Wildlife Trust, and the Grupo Tortuguero. Stephen Delgado has done an especially excellent job coordinating activities on the ground. For more information, including the scientific research behind the campaign, a powerpoint presentation from the press conference (Spanish), a list of the advisory council members and the information summary shared at the press conference (Spanish), please visit the Grupo Tortuguero website at www.grupotortuguero.org.

While tremendous progress has been made, threats to the Baja California peninsula, one of the world’s last truly wild places on the planet, continue. We at Pro Peninsula need to intensify our efforts to protect and preserve Baja California’s environmental treasures. We need YOUR support! Your assistance is crucial to the future of Pro Peninsula. Please join now and help to assure the success of efforts towards the preservation of the Baja California peninsula. With your membership you will receive a subscription to our newsletter, which includes updates of ongoing projects, issues and profiles of organizations and individuals active in the environmental movement on the peninsula. You’ll also receive invitations to special events, and most importantly you’ll be part of a powerful conservation effort! The next newsletter comes out in June – join now to receive your copy! Our membership is broken up into five categories, however a donation of any size is appreciated! Student/Classroom, includes our biannual newsletter, sticker and pencil - $20.00 Member, includes our biannual newsletter and a sticker - $35.00 Family, includes our biannual newsletter, sticker & t-shirt - $50.00 Friend, includes our biannual newsletter, sticker & long sleeve t-shirt - $150.00 Partner, includes our biannual newsletter, sticker, long sleeve t-shirt and Chelonia, a sea turtle book for children - $500.00

If you’re already a Pro Peninsula member, THANK YOU for your generous support! Please recommend Pro Peninsula to someone like-minded who might be interested in getting involved. Anyone can join today by visiting our secure online donation site: Donate Now.

(click on the newsletter above to download our winter issue - 5mb)

It's spring and Pro Peninsula has several upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. Please join us at one of these fun activities! May 1, 2005 – San Diego Earth Fair in Balboa Park, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM San Diego celebrates Earth Day at the annual Earth Fair held in Balboa Park. If you are in the San Diego area, please stop by and see us at our booth, and cruise by all the awesome NGO's, community groups & green companies disseminating important and useful information to the public. We need volunteers, so if you’d like to help out at the Earth Fair, please contact Lindsey at lindsey@propeninsula.org. For more information about the Earth Fair, visit http://www.earthdayweb.org/. May 7, 2005 - Save the Bay, Mission Bay Park, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM Pro Peninsula will also host a booth at San Diego Baykeeper's annual Save the Bay. Located in West Bonita Cove in Mission Bay Park, Save the Bay is an annual celebration aimed at gathering like-minded people who support clean water in San Diego. Activities include Paddle for the Bay, Water Sport Product Demonstrations, Beach & Bay Cleanup, Kayak Nature Tours, Environmental Education, Bay & Open Ocean Racing, Kayak Water Polo, awards and a raffle. Family, friends, neighbors, community groups, co-workers and others gather for this fabulous day on the water. Save the Bay is always a fun day at the bay with live music, free food & drinks and lots of activities. Stop by and check it out! We need volunteers at this event, so if you’d like to help out, please contact Lindsey at lindsey@propeninslua.org. For more information on Save the Bay visit www.sdbaykeeper.org.

May 15-17, 2005 - Meeting on the Border Environment / Encuentro sobre ambiente fronterizo – Rosarito, B.C., Mexico
“Encuentro” is a unique bi-national meeting where those interested in the environment of the U.S.-Mexico border region come together to exchange ideas and approaches, discuss current conditions, network and create partnerships. This year, the conference is taking place in Rosarito, Baja California. Pro Peninsula will be participating in the conference, so feel free to call or email us with any questions. For more information on the importance of the encuentro and it's history, please visit the encuentro website at http://www.encuentrofronterizo.org/.

May 26, 2005 - San Diego Environmental Leader Networking Group meeting, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
The Environmental Leader Networking Group was founded in 2001 by conservation coordinators from local environmental organizations, and meets monthly for discussion, sharing and support. On May 26th, Pro Peninsula will be hosting the meeting and we'd love for you to join us by sitting back and relaxing, enjoying some good food, music and conversation with other environmental leaders like you from around San Diego County. Everyone is welcome, so feel free to bring friends. Please RSVP to Lindsey at lindsey@propeninsula.org. Hope to see you then!

For more information on any of these activities, and to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact Lindsey at lindsey@propeninsula.org.

The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) in San Francisco recently erected a Grupo Tortuguero (GT) display at the front of the museum store, offering visitors a chance to learn about and support sea turtle conservation in Mexico! CAS sponsored this year’s Annual Meeting of the Grupo Tortuguero through the purchase of the meeting t-shirts. In addition, CAS bought a number of extra shirts to sell in their store. An informational booklet, produced by CAS, on the sea turtles of Mexico, the GT’s work, and how to get involved accompanies each shirt. Pro Peninsula is also selling the shirts along with the booklet, so if you can’t get to CAS, order yours today at info@propeninsula.org! We greatly appreciate the Academy’s support and are excited to have them as a member of the Grupo Tortuguero team! CAS was founded in 1853 as the first scientific institution in the western United States and their mission is to explore, explain, and protect the natural world. They are located at 875 Howard Street in San Francisco. If you are in the Bay Area, we strongly recommend a trip to CAS! For more information, visit them on the web at http://www.calacademy.org.