Fundación Neotropical — Colombia (2018)

The community of Juradó lies along the Pacific coast of Colombia near the border with Panama. The extremely biodiverse area contains sandy and rocky beaches, rainforests, mangroves, and marshes that are poorly studied as a result of 50 years of armed conflict. Juradó’s leatherback and hawksbill turtle populations face many human-generated threats, including egg consumption and predation by feral dogs. Using a 2018 SWOT grant, Fundación Neotropical will launch a program to educate local community members and to engage them in sea turtle conservation efforts. Activities will include workshops, beach cleanups, beach monitoring, and mural paintings with local children.