In this edition...

• Aaron Esliman: The GrupoTortuguero Welcomes Its First Executive Director
• Sea Turtle Festival Unites Community
• The Ocean Connectors Intern Search is Over!

In 1999 a loosely connected band of fishermen, scientists, conservationists and coastal residents working to save sea turtles came together to form the grassroots sea turtle conservation network, Grupo Tortuguero (GT). They had a shared, singular vision: Restore the sea turtle populations of the Californias. The movement grew quickly due to a unique combination of its open and inviting disposition, the urgency and clarity of the cause and the camaraderie felt by all who joined.

For the past five years Pro Peninsula has worked to strengthen this network, planning annual meetings, coordinating the sea turtle monitoring communities, and spreading the word of conservation throughout the region. In celebration of the GT’s ten years of successful conservation work, we are now entering a new decade of sea turtle conservation in Mexico with a newly formed non-profit and new leadership within the organization.

Following our mission of bolstering local efforts to protect the natural environment, Pro Peninsula has been working with the GT to create a strong and independent Mexican legal non-profit dedicated to recovering populations of sea turtles. In 2007 GT incorporated as a legal non-profit in Mexico, an Asociación Civil, and since that time its newly formed board of directors has been working to prepare the group for organizational independence.

At the 2008 Annual Monitoring Meeting, held August 22ndand 23rdin Punta Abreojos, the GT announced its first Executive Director, Aaron Esliman. Aaron, along with GT team members and the board of directors, will lead the group into this new era.

Pro Peninsula will continue to work in close partnership with the GT and the many other groups working for healthy oceans, collaborating on all of our programs to protect and conserve the sea turtles of the region.

Puerto San Carlos plays an important role in efforts to save sea turtles on the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula. The town resides within Magdalena Bay, a key foraging ground for sea turtles in the region. It is also home to the School for Field Studies (SFS), where J Nichols began the Grupo Tortuguero sea turtle monitoring program with then panguero (or boat driver) Julio Solis Hernández. Today, Julio continues the monitoring program as Director of Magdalena Baykeeper, part of the Waterkeeper Alliance. In addition to sea turtle conservation, Magdalena Baykeeper also carries out a monthly water quality monitoring program and provides outreach and education in the community.

Event committee, sea turtle queen and community members get ready to release sea turtle in Magdalena Bay. Photo by Aaron Esliman.

This year, Magdalena Baykeeper took the lead in organizing an all-star event committee including representatives from Baykeeper, local politicians, SFS and community business leaders. The event was a resounding success, including three days and nights of live music and dance, regional cuisine, athletic events, a sport fishing tournament, artistic programs and even an antique car show! The Festival culminated with the release of three black sea turtles captured as part of the monitoring program. Never before had San Carlos experienced such an event, which drew a crowd of well into the thousands.

What became clear this year is that conservation of sea turtles and Magdalena Bay’s natural resources is not just a theme for a festival or the work of a few individuals, but the responsibility of an entire community. Congratulations to Puerto San Carlos for rising to the challenge!

Pro Peninsula supports Magdalena Baykeeper through ongoing capacity building and training. Chris Pesenti, Pro Peninsula Co-Director, is the Board President and proud supporter of Magdalena Baykeeper.

This new Ocean Connectors logo will be featured on reusable canvas shopping bags.

Holly Hummel Border, Ocean Connectors' new intern, will serve as the assistant to Pro Peninsula’s Education Coordinator, Frances Kinney, from September 2008 through May 2009. She will play an integral role with field trips and classroom presentations, as well as provide general organizational support. Ocean Connectors will feature some amazing new developments during the 2008-2009 school year. The project will reach more students than ever before with our message of coastal conservation, and students will receive new educational tools and incentives including Ocean Connectors stickers, personalized, reusable canvas bags, and a new version of the charismatic animated PowerPoint host—Timmy the green sea turtle! With all of these new additions, Holly could not have come on board at a more exciting time.

Holly is currently a part time Educator Guide at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. She has a great deal of experience in a variety of environmental fields including zoology, sustainable harvests and community-based education. While here, she will add new focus areas to her repertoire via Pro Peninsula’s involvement in coastal conservation throughout San Diego and the Baja California peninsula. As she pursues her Master’s Degree, Holly seeks to learn more about environmental education, aquatic conservation methods and marine life in general. Her fluency with the Spanish language and dedicated personality make Holly the perfect person to help carry out the Ocean Connectors project during the upcoming year.

We thank all our Ocean Connectors project supporters: the Unified Port of San Diego, REI, Qualcomm Inc, Biogen Idec, Sea World Busch Gardens, and the USFWS.

Welcome to the Pro Peninsula team, Holly!