Turtle Advocate Pleads For Volunteers

In Trinidad and Tobago, the turtle nesting season runs from March to the end of August annually. Several organisations are tasked with the responsibility of patrolling our beaches and protecting the turtles when they lay eggs, and when hatchlings make their way back to the sea. President of the Las Cuevas Eco Friendly Association, Arlene Williams, said her organisation is severely underfunded and as such, protection of the turtles and hatchlings are being affected. She said over the past five years, the stipend for persons patrolling the beaches stopped, causing many to pursue other jobs to earn a living. As such, Ms. Williams is appealing for volunteers to ensure proper coverage of the nation's nesting sites as turtles are protected species. Five turtle species, the Loggerhead, Olive Ridley, Green Turtle, Hawksbill, and the Leatherback, all return to Trinidad and Tobago to lay their eggs annually.