It's always exciting to greet people at the registration table; this year over 400 attended!

On January 26-28, 2007 the 9th Annual Meeting of the Grupo Tortuguero was held in Loreto, BCS. Once again, the community of Loreto opened its doors, serving as host for over 400 participants from the U.S, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Japan. Reflecting the meeting’s theme, 'Se Necesita Toda Una Comunidad' (It Takes a Community) this year’s meeting celebrated the communities and the role individuals play in sea turtle conservation. Long term conservation takes commitment and hard work by everyone, and this year’s meeting attendees- including youth, teachers, fishermen, scientists, conservationists and others- celebrated the part they play in saving sea turtles.

During the past year, the Grupo Tortuguero has successfully expanded its reach throughout the communities of the Baja California peninsula, mainland Mexico and the world. The Grupo Tortuguero’s community-based teams have worked together to gather data that proves that the waters surrounding the peninsula are a sea turtle “hotspot” of global importance. More importantly, these community members have taken on the role of conservation ambassadors, promoting environmental awareness and creating a sense of pride within their communities. They have inspired youth and adults alike to actively participate in conservation programs as well as create their own conservation projects.

Presentations at the 2007 meeting reflected all of the hard work and many successes achieved by the group and its communities. Grupo Tortuguero biologist, Melania Lopez, presented the 5-year monitoring report that included the results of years of monitoring sea turtle populations throughout the peninsula. Other presentations included the results of Grupo Tortuguero members’ education and outreach programs, community conservation programs and international exchanges.

Additionally, this meeting was important as it was the precursor for the 10th Annual Meeting of the Grupo Tortuguero to be held in conjunction with the International Sea Turtle Symposium in Loreto, January 20-27, 2008. This meeting will be the most important meeting in the history of the Grupo Tortuguero and a landmark event for the community of Loreto. The combined meeting will join together the world’s foremost authorities on sea turtle biology and conservation with Baja California’s community conservation leaders in what will be an incredible opportunity for sharing, learning and planning the next decade of turtle-saving on the peninsula. The theme of the 2008 conference is “Native Oceans” and will celebrate and bring together the world’s sea turtle cultures, such as the Seri Indians (Comcaac) of Sonora.

-For more information on the Grupo Tortuguero and
the 9th Annual Meeting visit www.grupotortuguero.org.

-This meeting would not be possible without our committed
sponsors and volunteers- we thank you!
Sponsors and Volunteers.

-How to Help – Join the Grupo Tortuguero Community
as a meeting sponsor! www.propeninsula.org/gt.

-Get one of the T-Shirts from our latest meeting
at the newly stocked Pro Peninsula Store!.

The South Bay power plant is a surprising place. Few people suspect that there are green sea turtles in South San Diego Bay. Even fewer expect them to hang around the Duke Energy power plant just off of the I-5 freeway in Chula Vista. But it's true, and every winter scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service arrive to study this fascinating population of foraging turtles and Pro Peninsula, along with children from local schools, joins them to help out.

Former Pro Peninsula intern, Will Gómez posing with one of San Diego's own green sea turtles

No one is quite sure how these sea turtles came to choose the area, but researchers believe that the warm water that flows out of the power plant, after being utilized to cool its machinery, has promoted the growth of eel grass in the area. Green sea turtles feed on this marine plant, and don't mind getting to swim around in warm water either. Additionally, that particular section of the South Bay is a national protected wildlife reserve, adding to the combination of factors that have made this an ideal green sea turtle habitat.

These turtles have not only survived in this unexpected environment, they've been able to thrive; the largest green sea turtle ever recorded was found right here in San Diego. 'Wrinklebutt'- named for the characteristic deformity of its shell- was first found in the Bay in the 1970's and when captured last year weighed in at 550 pounds!

But don't just let us tell you about these amazing creatures, come and experience them for yourself! There are still three field dates left and we are always looking for volunteers to come help us out. Contact Daniel Durazo at daniel@propeninsula.org if you would like to get involved.

• Feb. 21 11am - Noon
• Mar. 7 10:30am - 12:15
• Mar. 20 11am - Noon

Thank you to National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center, the Port of San Diego and Duke Energy for supporting this project!

After 9 years of tireless work, the Grupo Tortuguero is official!

The Grupo Tortuguero has worked for more than 9 years promoting the conservation and protection of sea turtles in Baja California and Baja California Sur. Having grown to work with more communities throughout the peninsula, the group has amplified the number of people believing in the need for a powerful conservation network to save sea turtles. After many years of conservation successes and the incredible growth of our network, the group has taken the next step and become a legal Mexican non-profit, or Asociación Civil.

The Grupo Tortuguero began as a small group of concerned fishermen who wanted to meet others involved in the conservation of sea turtles. Their goal was to share their experiences, achievements, proposals, concerns and solutions. Since then, members of the Grupo Tortuguero have organized themselves to create a unique effort to save sea turtles and demonstrate the great lengths that we must go to in order to protect these amazing creatures.

Members have shown a deep and tireless commitment to this effort, which has clarified the need to officially establish the Grupo Tortuguero as a legal non-profit organization in Mexico. The group can now move forward with clearly defined goals and projects that benefit the communities we work with, develop strategies to create awareness and sensitivity to the many challenges that the peninsula's different species of sea turtle face, and foster an appreciation of the peninsula’s natural resources at the community level.

There have been many successes and accomplishments over the past nine years, thanks to the hard work of the participants, communities and supporters of the Grupo Tortuguero. It is with great pride that we officially announce that the Grupo Tortuguero is now a legal organization under the name Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias AC.

On January 12 the environmental movement in Baja California suffered a grave loss with the passing of Benjamín Casillas López, who perished in an automobile accident on the highway between Ensenada and Tecate. Benjamín most recently led Pronatura Noroeste’s environmental education and community work from their Ensenada office, reaching out to communities in Guerrero Negro, Bahía de los Ángeles, and San Quintín. For three years now, the kids from JABA (Environmental Youth of Bahía de los Angeles) have made their presence known at the annual Grupo Tortuguero meeting in Loreto, spurred on by Benjamin, their intrepid leader, mentor and compatriot. But to limit a description of Benjamin’s efforts to just one organization would not do his legacy justice.

As an integral part of Ja-Jan, Benjamin diligently pushed forward the agenda of water quality along the Tijuana-Ensenada corridor. He also participated actively in GEO Juvenil, a United Nations project, as well as the EECC (Environmental Education Council for the Californias). While the breadth of Benjamin’s work is impressive, especially given his young age of 30, it is the way he carried himself and interacted with others that deserves attention. Always a smile to lighten the room, never without a laugh to disarm the tension, and every time a positive comment to lift the rest of us up – this was how Benjamin worked and lived.

Pro Peninsula's Co-Directors, Kama and Chris, first met Benjamín in 2002 when he headed up environmental education efforts for Pro Esteros. They will never forget the journey that they shared with Benjamín in that formative period of Pro Peninsula. He graciously introduced them to people in Punta Abreojos, Guerrero Negro, Bahía de los Angeles and Laguna San Ignacio, opening the door for future work in these communities. They will never forget the jokes, the smiles, or enjoying a sunset over a desolate landscape while changing a tire. Benjamín will be dearly missed by all, but his legacy lives on in the youth he inspired, the communities he impacted, and the spirit that remains with his friends, colleagues and family.