Sixteen Candles (for Sea Turtles)

It’s been 2 years since my Trash-for-Turtles project ended, but I’ve been keeping busy. I started high school, joined new clubs, and took on a lot of harder classes (like chemistry!). High school is a lot to manage, but I am trying to stay active with my conservation work when I can, including clean ups, participating in Youth Ocean Conservation Summits, collecting water samples, and even helping with sea turtle patrols. 

This summer, though, I am ready to start something new!

In honor of my sixteenth birthday, I want to kick off a new fundraising project called Sixteen Candles (for Sea Turtles)! My goal is to raise $1600 for the Caretta Research Project, which is an organization that is very special to me. I have partnered with them for many years and even spent a week last summer helping with their sea turtle patrol at Wassaw Island (check out my experience here). Because they have done so much for sea turtles on Georgia’s coast, I’ve decided there is no better way to celebrate my birthday and World Sea Turtle Day (also in June) than helping them continue their great work.

This is how my project will run. Each of the sixteen candles on the sea turtle below represents $100. Every time I raise $100, I will light another candle. My goal is to light all sixteen candles this summer and make this birthday my best one yet!

Of course, I can’t do this without your help! From now until August, you can help by donating through this site or in-person to light all the turtle candles. 

For every $5 donation, you can also be entered into a raffle for a signed matted print of sea turtles taken by scientist and underwater photographer Christina Richards. She graciously donated two prints for this project, a green sea turtle and a loggerhead sea turtle which both nest along our Georgia coast. Be sure to note if you would like to be entered into this drawing when donating, or send me a note here.

Okay, now let’s light some candles!!!