Sunday, November 14, 2010

Florida Businesses Awarded for Being 'Sea Turtle Friendly' Caribbean Conservation Corp., the world's oldest sea turtle research and protection group, partners with local Florida groups to select businesses worthy of the award

Florida Businesses Awarded for Being 'Sea Turtle Friendly' Caribbean Conservation Corp., the world's oldest sea turtle research and protection group, partners with local Florida groups to select businesses worthy of the award.

The Caribbean Conservation Corporation, through its Florida-based Sea Turtle Survival League program, worked with turtle groups around Florida to find beachfront hotels, condominiums, restaurants and other businesses that are taking proactive steps to protect endangered sea turtles. With nesting season now underway in Florida, awards are being presented to the most 'turtle friendly' establishments in important sea turtle nesting areas.

(PRWEB) June 29, 2002

The Caribbean Conservation Corporation, through its Florida-based Sea Turtle

Survival League (STSL) program, worked with turtle groups around Florida to

Find beachfront hotels, condominiums, restaurants and other businesses that

Are taking proactive steps to protect endangered sea turtles. With nesting

Season now underway in Florida, awards are being presented to the most 'turtle

Friendly' establishments in important sea turtle nesting areas.

"These awards provide a great opportunity to recognize coastal businesses for

Going the extra mile to protect Florida's sea turtles and their nesting beaches,"

Said Dan Evans, STSL Education Coordinator. "Hopefully, the awards will

Motivate other beachfront establishments to review and improve their own

Efforts to safeguard Florida's sea turtle and coastal habitats."

Over 90 percent of all the sea turtle nesting in the United States takes place

On Florida beaches. What we do in this state to protect sea turtles affects the

Global population. With so many people living, working and recreating along

Florida's coastline, groups like STSL are doing their best to raise awareness

About simple ways people can help protect these ancient visitors to our

Beaches.

This is the first year the Sea Turtle Friendly Awards are being presented.

Award categories include coastal hotels, rental condos, retail stores,

Restaurants and local government agencies. Nominations were evaluated

Based on criteria including efforts to reduce artificial beach lighting during

The sea turtle nesting season, protection and general health of the nesting

Beach, recycling practices, and involvement in sea turtle education programs.

The Sea Turtle Friendly Awards are part of STSL's Sea Turtle Habitat

Awareness Campaign. The campaign provided coastal businesses with free

Educational materials about Florida's sea turtles, their habitats and protection

Issues. Working with local groups, such as Turtle Time, Inc. in Lee County and

Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota County, the campaign is increasing

Awareness about coastal management issues that affect the survival of sea

Turtles. For example, artificial lights disorient nesting turtles and their

Hatchlings. Sea walls and other tactics used to protect homes and businesses

From erosion also pose long-term threats to sea turtle survival. The Awareness

Campaign this year focused on seven important turtle nesting counties: Collier,

Lee and Sarasota on the Gulf coast and Brevard, Indian River, Martin and

Volusia on the Atlantic coast. Other counties will be the focus of future

Programs.

Funding for the 2002 Sea Turtle Friendly Awards program was provided through

A grant from the Sea Turtle License Plate Grants program. The grants program,

Which is administered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation

Commission, receives its funding directly from sales of the Florida Sea Turtle

Specialty License Plate. The Sea Turtle Survival League, a program of the

Non-profit Caribbean Conservation Corporation, works throughout the U. S. to

Protect sea turtles through outreach, advocacy and education. For a list of the

Businesses receiving "Turtle Friendly" Awards, contact the Sea Turtle Survival

League at 1-800-678-7853 or visit www. cccturtle. org/florida/friendly. htm (http://www. cccturtle. org/florida/friendly. htm).