For more than 25 years, we have been involved in conservation of the endangered marine turtle species that forage around and nest on Barbados through research, education and public outreach as well as monitoring of nesting females, juveniles and hatchlings.
About Us
The vision of the Barbados Sea Turtle Project is to restore local marine turtle populations to levels at which they can fulfil their ecological roles while still providing opportunities for sustainable use by the people of Barbados, and to support similar efforts in other countries of the Caribbean.
Our mission is to recover marine turtle populations through the use of scientifically-sound conservation measures and monitoring programmes, and through the development and implementation of training, education and public awareness tools and activities that encourage the support and active participation of stakeholders.
Volunteer
The Barbados Sea Turtle Project would be unable to continue conservation and educational activities without the participation of local and international volunteers. Each year, we accept volunteers from Barbados and from many countries around the world to assist with data collection, sea turtle rescues, presentations and displays.
volunteer trainingWe accept volunteers between May and November each year, usually for periods of 2-4 months.
Each volunteer group is comprised of six local and six international volunteers. Volunteers are trained extensively so that they learn and practice the skills necessary for effective sea turtle conservation. These skills include:
- interacting with a nesting female without disturbing her
- accurate collection of scientific data
- identifying activity types based on track patterns
- dissemination of information to schools, camps, hotels and interested beachgoers
- safely relocating a sea turtle nest
- sea turtle nest excavation
Presentations
The Barbados Sea Turtle Project informs the public about sea turtle biology, conservation efforts, and research programmes. Several methods are used to promote this type of education.
Whenever possible, local and international television programmes, radio programmes and newspapers are used to widely spread information about sea turtle issues in Barbados and the other Caribbean territories.
During the school year, BSTP volunteers make presentations to students throughout the island. During the summer vacation, which coincides with the hawksbill turtle nesting season, we give presentations at the numerous summer camps held around the island.
During the nesting season, hotels and local conservation organisations occasionally request presentations or displays for staff and guests interested in the environment. These presentations help to ensure that persons working on or using the beaches of Barbados can interact safely with marine turtles and can react appropriately if they find hatchlings or a turtle in distress.
