A group of Destin High School students presented a $1,500 check to the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center just before the New Year to help with the organization’s sea turtle conservation efforts.
- The donation came from the Destin High “Reef Rangers,” a leadership class taught by teacher Kelly Tucker. The nine students raised the money through fundraising campaigns this past fall to help the nonprofit rehabilitation center.
Eisley Ingram, one of the student leaders, said the group “wanted to make a change in the community and thought that this would be a really cool way to do it.”
Tabitha Siegfried, stranding coordinator at the Gulfarium C.A.R.E. Center, said the funds will go toward caring for injured and ill sea turtles. But she said the bigger impact is from the students learning about conservation and sharing that knowledge with others.
- “What the class has learned this semester about conservation extends far beyond the money they’ve raised,” Siegfried said.
The C.A.R.E. Center takes in sick or injured sea turtles for rehabilitation and release back to the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and funded by admissions, donations and grants.
Siegfried encouraged the Reef Rangers to tell friends and family about threats to sea turtles in the Gulf and the efforts by groups like the C.A.R.E. Center to protect the endangered species. The center also partners with other conservation groups in education and research initiatives.
If you see a sea turtle in distress, injured, or deceased please report it to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission immediately at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).
