Trash-for-Turtles (Final) Summary

It feels like yesterday that I announced this year’s project! Now, the 2021 Trash-for-Turtles (and final!) Project is finished. The goal was to raise enough money to push my project to an astonishing $10,000 for all years combined. All of the donations went to the Caretta Research Project on Wassaw National Wildlife Refugee to support their sea turtle conservation program. Did we reach our $10,000 goal? Keep reading for the full 2021 summary to find out!

The 2021 Trash-for-Turtles Project kicked off in January with my Read-a-thon! It began in January and just recently finished in April. This fundraiser involved dedication, as I read countless pages of inspiring novels and picture books. I read books by renowned marine conservationists, Archie Carr and Philippe Cousteau. I learned so much about the basis of sea turtle conservation but also was inspired by the education so many others are doing. While I read, many people in my community sponsored these pages. A total of 26 people sponsored my books, plus a fifth grade classroom who sponsored one book all by themselves! Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic dying down a bit, I also was even able to read and present to them. We also had a special guest speaker, Mrs Kris Carroll, the Director of the Caretta Research Project! Below is the book list if you would like to check any of these out!

• The Windward Road by Archie Carr
• 10 Reasons to Love a Turtle by Catherine Barr
• Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau
• Where Should Turtle Be by Susan Ring
• All the Way to the Ocean by Joel Harper
• Fire in the Turtle House by Osha Gray Davidson

Last year, the coronavirus pandemic affected my ability to meet with people, so I wasn’t able to do many in person presentations. However, new situations often lead to new possibilities. I adapted by giving several online presentations on different platforms including Facebook live, Google meet, and Zoom. Even the in-person presentations were different, with the use of masks, meeting outside, spacing out, and other safety precautions. Despite a challenging situation, I am proud that I was able to spread my message and in a unique way. In retrospect, I probably reached a wider audience! More kids to inspire!

As with every other year of my project, we conducted area cleanups and recycled aluminum cans. My family and I committed to doing a clean up once a month. We organized our annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day clean-up as well as two others, and helped with one of the Keep Golden Isles Beautiful Marsh Madness cleanups! As per usual, we found many tires, bottles, cigarette butts, etc. You name it, we probably found it. Sadly, it’s led me to the conclusion that our trash problem isn’t going to magically go away and that it’s going to take a lot to save our planet. Clean ups can help, but it is not the sole answer. On a positive note, we were able to collect and recycle 265 lbs of aluminum cans (that’s almost 3,000!) many from our cleanups. That is trash that was not only removed from the environment but will be used again.

As I reflect on the past 9 seasons of my project, it has become obvious to me that fundraising and clean-ups alone will not solve our environmental issues. Certainly, it assists greatly with the preservation portion, but these aren’t going to stop the rapidly increasing temperature of the planet or the influx of litter to our oceans. But perhaps technology and innovations can help us move closer to an answer. As I progress into high school, I hope to take my knowledge from this project and take my efforts to another level. Trash for Turtles may be finished, but the lessons I have learned from it will stay with me forever. Applying the lessons, I hope to be able to develop into an innovator for science and conservation. Making this step is scary because it is new territory for me, but I’m excited for what the future may hold. As I bid this project goodbye, I would like to leave off with the saying, “as one door closes, another opens.” Even though the ending of Trash for Turtles is sad in one way, it leaves new hope for a future. After all, isn’t that part of what Trash for Turtles was all about? Inspiring other kids to become the hope for sea turtles just as I was inspired by a 3-flippered sea turtle so long ago.

Thank you to the many people who have supported me and my project along the way. From my family to so many in my local community and beyond, from every donation to person that came out to one of my many clean-ups or presentations, I mean it from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amount of support I’ve received on this journey. It really means a lot to me.

Most of all, I want to thank my mom for being my manager behind the scenes (you’re awesome and thanks for helping me edit this one, too) and Mrs. Kris Carroll with the Caretta Research Project on Wassaw National Wildlife Refugee. Her and her team’s work to help conserve the sea turtles along Georgia’s coast is so awesome, and I couldn’t be happier to inform both her and you all, that we were able to give her $1,452.48 this year. That means we reached OVER $10,000! What a great way to finish off Trash-for-Turtles!

So with that, I’ll say my official – and quite emotional – goodbye to Trash for Turtles! I can’t wait to update you in the future, but for now, stay turtley awesome!