I am a retired public school teacher interested in the survival of endangered species. I met a turtle nest patrol volunteer 10yrs ago and applied to join the turtle island rescue team. It has been the most rewarding experience driving the UTV from the seawall to San Luis Pass every April to July since 2016. Sunrise on the beach looking for turtle tracks has been my life every season. We also save seabirds, stranded turtles, and any critter that needs our help. This organization coordinates with many rescue service from the Houston Zoo to
The Texas A&M team that recovers eggs in the nests we find. They transport them to the Padre Island rookery so all the eggs can hatch & be returned to the gulf safely. Its a wonderful cause!
Turtle Island Restoration Network (TIRN) makes history every year. They work for sea turtles, mammals, fish of all sizes and all the creatures that live in the earth's waters. Started by one man with incredible knowledge and courage, TIRN has grown making great strides in protecting creatures that have no voice. Executive Director Todd Steiner is fearless in protecting animals and also the people who work in different countries to protect them. Wherever he is needed, he will go to stand up for laws and regulations that help endangered species. He has testified in Washington many times as well as before the United Nations. In his quiet way, Todd makes powerful points supported by the donations of thousands of members and foundations. Everyone needs to know and support the Turtle Island Restoration Network that will continue to work for the preservation of marine creatures.
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Turtle Island Restoration Network has earned a reputation of working hard to make the best use of every penny it received in donations. I have worked for them so I have been able to see how they do their best to develop strategies that will help sea turtles. The Executive Director is not afraid to tackle politicians who think he can be scared off. I have always admire that!
Working with Turtle Island these last two years have been rewarding & encouraging. The team is top notch and the turtles are getting a chance to come back from near extinction. Our planet needs this restoration network.
This is a great and dedicated group of people who are organized, empathetic, welcoming, smart, and fun to work with. I have volunteered with the Turtle Island Restoration Network for two years in a row and it is an experience I would recommend to anyone who loves turtles and doesn't mind giving a few hours a week to a great cause.
I have volunteered for this organization for several years and I am so impressed with their professionalism and dedication to the turtles. I thoroughly enjoy the patrols on the beach and interacting with the civilians and educating them about the turtles and other marine life. All of this information has been taught to us by the staff and they are always there if we have any questions anytime. Kudos to all of them for their tireless work and dedication. Kathi Richardson
Chance to save endangered species and get in at the grass roots of the operation. Also a chance to take on some responsibility and do your bit while walking the beach and picking up trash - not the most glamorous activity but while doing the turtle patrols it gives you a chance to kill two birds with one stone.
Turtle Island Restoration Network did a fantastic job coordinating the turtle patrols in the Galveston area thus year. Joanie was tireless in her support for the program and Theresa was a cheerful voice every morning at patrol check-in and check-out. The program was a success due to their efforts. Well done, TIRN!
Turtle Island Restoration was an amazing, rewarding experience. Joanie & her staff are pasionately dedicated and communicate with volunteers like a finely run business. They are professional & supports us as we are on patrol. It was so rewarding, I will do every year!!
What an amazing group of people. The dedication they have is unreal. I only wish I could give 10 stars. I was honored to be part of the turtle patrol this last season and I am looking forward to next year and hopefully many many more.
This is a very dedicated group working hard to help restore the endangered Ridley's turtle by organizing daily beach walking and UTV riding to search for signs of endangered sea turtle nests on the upper Gulf coast. Once found, experts from the university are summoned to extract the eggs for incubation in a controlled environment to enhance the survival of the baby turtles, which are then released to the Gulf after hatching. The efforts of the volunteer group improves the survival of these at-risk species by at least 20%, allowing the numbers to increase more quickly over the past few decades. The dedicated leaders have rallied hundreds of volunteers every year to provide the search teams to patrol the beaches daily from April through mid-June. They are really making a difference!
All individuals I dealt with by phone or in person were very helpful and knowledgeable about all aspects of sea life. I am new to the turtle patrol and had lots of questions about not just the turtles but if I saw something unusual that I had never seen before all I had to do is send a text message with a picture and Teresa answered my question. This is a very responsive and knowledgeable group and I will continue to be part of it.
As a first time volunteer, I found the training excellent. Throughout the season, the staff was in constant contact with the volunteers, supporting our efforts, encouraging us to help educate visitors to the beach, advocating for nature's beach life, and documenting anything that needed attention. The dedication of the staff to not just administrate, but be working participants was inspiring. We were so happy to be a part of this group and look forward to the coming seasons for as long as we are able.
I was a volunteer in the summer of 2017 to scout the beaches for endangered turtles, their nests or their hatchlings. This was not only amazing for the soul as I walked several miles at sunrise along the gulf, it was IMPORTANT as I was helping to save some of the most endangered creatures on earth!
Turtle Island Restoration is a wonderful organization.
I was privileged to start walking a turtle patrol this year on Galveston Island. What a blessing!
The team of trainers, coaches, turtle employees, etc. are amazing.
Training was enlightening and encouraging and the patrols enhanced my whole life.
Learning about the turtles and how to help them was the culmination of years of loving sea turtles. I went several times as a youth to the NOAA turtle rehab center in Galveston and was hooked on turtles since. Hearing about turtles returning that were reverse shell tagged was really neat as I saw those turtles as babies.
I got 2 friends from my church to walk as well (one was trained and one joined later with her paperwork). We enjoyed every walk even when it was raining or scorching hot.
Although all my "team" found was one half of a turtle that had washed up, we are excited to get started again next year. And we have recruited several more people to get trained and be part of patrols.
GO TURTLES!
My husband and I have volunteered for two years with the Turtle Patrol. It is well organized and the training is good.
Joanie & Theresa are wonderful people to work with. They are both caring & compassionate ladies. I enjoyed this experience & the hard work they put into this program makes it even more enjoyable. It is very organized which makes all the difference! Kudos to them & all the hard work that they do!
Turtle Island Restoration Network is filled with folks who are passionate about saving turtles (and wildlife in general) and preserving our coast. It is a well-run organization that I am proud to be a part of.
Turtle Island is always keeping me updated on important issues impacting sea turtles around the world. Through regulating shrimp fisheries to increasing international cites protections, Todd and the Turtle Island team have been critical ocean defenders for multiple decades. I can't wait until we end that dirty drift gill net fishery in San Diego, that will be one worth celebrating.
No greater satisfaction than helping the wildlife threatened with extinction especially those found in the sea. The beauty, peace and tranquility of a sunrise over the gulf is without equal.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is an amazing non-profit working in ocean and environmental conservation and advocacy. Most recently, they're working on a statewide swordfish boycott to stop the use of deadly driftnets in the swordfish fishery right off California's coast. Historically, they've brought light to so many critical environmental (and social, health, etc.) issues that go unnoticed but that warrant our public attention. The most notable would be the "Got Mercury?" campaign. They put their actions where their hearts are, and aren't afraid to take a stand for what's right.
great environment!! The two ladies in charge are very sweet and organized during nest season. I loved volunteering for them!
I enjoyed walking the beach on my patrol shift looking for Turtle nests. The Network kept all us volunteers extremely informed. It was a very organized network and I would do the patrol again in a heartbeat!
We began volunteering with TIRN in 2015. We’ve spent many hours on the beach and have been involved in 2 nest rescues. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with this group. With every find there is an element of treasured education that takes place. Those who administrate our project recognize their volunteers who are dedicated and passionate one to one. They appreciate the fact that without volunteers their efforts would be futile. With each season, we become more knowledgeable and the level of trust, relationship and dependablity.
We are a family with a passion for nature and saving this species.
I am so very excited and grateful to be a part of this wonderful organization.
Our group is Galveston County Texas
I do turtle patrol on the Bolivar Peninsula and they are awesome. When we found a nest they were there in no time and very informative. We got to help in the process.
What a great group to volunteer for this summer. They are so in touch with me when I patrol for them. They always put safety first and education second. I have learned so much about my favorite sea creature. Ready o do it again next year.
I'm proud to work with and support Turtle Island Restoration Network. It's a top notch grass roots organization that provides fantastic opportunities for individuals everywhere to become actively involved in solutions for the preservation of critically endangered sea turtles, sharks and other ocean fauna, and to stay current in the conservation issues affecting our oceans. At the local level, TIRN provides Bay Area residents and students the opportunity to engage in and obtain first hand experience in the preservation of critical salmon habitat in West Marin.
I was looking for an organization to get involved with ocean conservation and came across an internship opportunity for Turtle Island Restoration Network. I have been working here for a little over a month and love it. Everybody who works here, either voluntarily or as their job, is passionate about what they do and truly cares about the future of our planet. The people at TIRN are actively making positive changes in the community.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a responsible user of donated funds to meet its goals. The Board and staff are mission-driven.
I really appreciate the work of Turtle Island Restoration Network to protect ocean wildlife. Their work to hold the government and others accountable for their actions is needed in a world that does not revolve enough around the good of the community and the good of the environment. I also appreciate their work to involve members and volunteers in advocacy work, training the next generation to be active stewards of the world.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is an organization of about a dozen staff members and over a thousand volunteers that takes on significant issues that are driving endangered ocean animals towards extinction. The organization's focus on saving sea turtles, marine mammals, sharks and wild salmon is passionate and their programs are effective. Focusing on these species provides an entryway for people to work to stop climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing and coastal development that feels manageable. Turtle Island Restoration Network's staff and volunteers are some of the most passionate and committed people I have ever met. They are often stretching to do everything they hope to accomplish, more support would help them do even more!
I am very taken aback by the comment listed prior to this. I have been a donor to Turtle Island since its inception. I have known of Todd's work since he was at Earth Island and spear headed the campaign (which we live and are thankful for still today) to put Dolphin safe criteria on tuna cans all over America.
It is because of his efforts and long lived focus for environmental stewardship, that I have followed his campaigns till today and appreciate all that he continues to do.
I believe Todd and his staff and board have done amazing work since starting Turtle island. A Goldman
Prize for an affiliate and consistent coverage on a national scale, can only support what I write.
He runs a formidable organization, and works tirelessly to push for sustainable conservation goals.
This is a great organizaton staffed by a few passionate people, intent on saving this magnificent species. They combine strong science with political courage and action. I have worked with them for over a year and their work continues to inspire me. Wish I had more time to dedicate to their important work.
I have had a wonderful experience working with STRP. I have been working with them since February 2010 at their main office in West Marin and have also worked with them getting petitions signed at the University of California at Berkeley. Everyone at STRP is focused and passionate about saving the sea turtles, not just for the sea turtles well being but for the health of our planet and the people who live on it.
I like the easiness of petition signing thru the internet. When an action/petition needs to be done, I can sign it, and have my voice heard, almost instantly. I can broadcast the action done by STRP thru Facebook, and then onto my friends. I also like being updated about their campaigns around the world.
Fantastic! I loved being involved with a group that has such a fantastic history of successes. Todd, Teri, Erica, Maeve, Madeline, Carol and the crew really care deeply about the worlds' sea turtles and it was very rewarding to volunteer with them.
I have donated to this organization since its inception in 1989, and have felt very satisified with their use of funds. The Sea Turtle Restoration Network, has done an excellent job of outreaching to the public, and educating people through frequent newsletters and an extremely informative website.
The Sea Turtle Restoration Project is a unique place that enables people concerned about sea turtles and the oceans to turn their passion and activism into real world results that transform fishing practices and policies and save the lives of animals. One of STRP's greatest strengths is its ability to be flexible in responding to emerging problems worldwide without a lot of bureaucracy to work through. STRP is a great example of a small, no frills nonprofit that gets a lot done for a little money.
Very rewarding. The project is of tremendous urgency. With the use of current fishing practices on an ever insupportable scale, the oceans have become a veritable minefield for turtles. I was amazed how readily young adults on the Cal Berkeley campus understood the danger of the leatherbacks becoming extinct in the near future, that their children most likely will no longer know them in their natural habitat. It was an eye-opener for all who listened how limited/small the protected feeding grounds are and what the effects of the use of gill nets and longline fishing are. I found the public enthusiastically endorsing the efforts of the Sea Turtle Restoration Psroject before it is too late.
I have supported this organization since its birth. If you have any money to give, Sea Turtle Restoration Project will give you the most bang for your buck. I donate monthly knowing my money is being put to good use. Sea Turtle Restoration Project has a long history of great wins for the sea turtles, the health of the oceans and the planet. It's easy to be part of this nonprofit and feel like you are making a meaningful contribution to the betterment of the planet. With STRP you will see your donations in action.... it's a good feeling.
a year ago, i wrote a letter concerning the pollution in the ocean. i wanted to help the sea animals and what i did was make a petition.