Project Location - Galle Road Duwemodara, Kosgoda, Sri Lanka. (On the west coast about 75 Kms south of Colombo)
Purpose of the Project - The overall aim of this sea turtle conservation project is to monitor sea turtle activity and conserve the local nesting sites in the Kosgoda region of Sri Lanka.
Targeted group - We conserve five types of sea turtles in Indian ocean as mentioned above.
Beneficiaries - Our project is located right next to the beach about 500 meters from Kasgoda, a small town. We are working with local people for saving sea turtles, as these innocent animals cannot protect themselves. On the other hand, a lot of turtles get killed because of consumption of eggs and
their meat, demand of their shells for decoration, injury from fishing and several turtles die because of no care or treatment. Our commitment is to support the local team to help & protect these critically endangered sea turtles. Volunteer work includes protecting turtles’ nests, hatching eggs, collecting turtle eggs, feeding turtles, caring for and treating turtles that are victims of commercial fishing and various illnesses, cleaning the beach and turtle tanks, releasing turtles back to sea and educating community for saving sea turtles.
Project work schedule/working hours - Participants will work from Monday to Friday and will be assigned at least 6 hrs of work a day as per the requirement of the project. The work would be divided in two parts. Shifts will vary as work is needed at the turtle project for 24 hrs. There are days when project expect shifts at
night as well as throughout the day particularly during egg laying season of the Turtles. Typically the shifts will be divided into 2 parts with a lunch or dinner break of 1 hour, as the case may be.
Activities that volunteers will do at this project -
- Caring turtles that live at the centre.
- Maintaining the project areas and beach.
- Feeding turtles.
- Washing turtles.
- Lifting turtles from tank to tank.
- Collect eggs from the nests on beach or buy from vendors to avoid their sale in the market.
- Night patrolling the beach to collect eggs if female turtles have laid eggs during the night time.
- Releasing baby turtles in sea.
