AMPLIFYING MARINE CONSERVATION
Dear ___
I hope you’re well. (Personal note)
I'm writing because I genuinely enjoyed speaking with you at the Oceans Forward launch party in Long Beach last August. Since then, Sheila and I have been hard at work building our team and extensively researching how we can make the most significant difference for the oceans. We’ve waited until now to contact you because we’ve been working on getting this right. Now, we’re ready to take action, and we need your support.
The challenges facing the world’s oceans are very real and very serious, but they are not insurmountable. Our solution is simple: even the smallest things can make a big difference when put together strategically. We’re creating a network of technology-enabled, community-empowering marine conservation initiatives collectively designed to bring about real results.
This summer, we’re launching a comprehensive initiative on the Eastern Carribbean island of Dominica that will have a real impact for both critically endanged leatherback sea turtles and for local communities on the island.
Leatherback sea turtles are the last remaining dinosaurs. They have lived for over 150 million years and survived mass extinction events, but today, they’re on the brink of extinction. They swim for thousands of miles to lay their eggs on the beaches of Dominica from May to July each year, only to be slaughtered by poachers once they reach the sand. Because less than 400 turtles remain and only 1 in 1000 hatchlings survive, every single animal counts.
Here, saving even one turtle from poaching can have a huge impact on the entire population. And in fact, saving these turtles also impacts the human population of Dominica directly - keeping these turtles alive is critical for the nation to develop a sustainable, tourism-based economy. We’re helping communities build capacity for locally run tourism operations, and we'll be using innovative scientific methods to inform policy and drive the creation of marine protected areas at nesting beaches.
We also need your help launching an innovative education program that connects local students to turtles. Floating Classrooms is designed to increase conservation awareness, reduce poaching, and eliminate marine debris. The program exposes elementary school students to a structured combination of cross-disciplinary classroom study, student-led community service initiatives, and hands-on learning.
By increasing students’ understanding of the global role of endemic marine life, Floating Classrooms fosters an appreciation for and a commitment to protecting marine life in the Caribbean and beyond, ensuring future generations of responsible ocean stewards.
We need your support to make this happen. Your donation will go directly to the immediate protection of these critically endangered animals, and to establishing a sustainable framework to ensure that this protection extends well into the future. Consider that a $500 gift can pay the salary of one guard to patrol one critical nesting beach for a month. A donation of $1,000 can support one year of the Floating Classrooms program for a fifth grade class at a local school. A donation of $2,000 can purchase an unmanned aerial vehicle that will perform aerial surveillance at critical nesting beaches. A donation of any size can go towards building a community turtle center designed to educate both the community and tourists.
Please consider donating and becoming a part of the solution. Any gift makes a real, tangible difference for both the turtles and the people of Dominica. Thank you in advance for your support.
All the best,
Marissa Fox
Executive Director