Turtle heroes: Protecting Sea Turtles in Suriname

Hello turtle friends,

It’s been a while since our last update, but that’s because we’ve been very busy behind the scenes!

We are still hard at work on our plastic prevention project and are getting close to the implementation phase. This includes placing waste bins at key locations within our pilot sites, providing awareness about proper waste management, and educating communities about the impact of plastic pollution on the environment and animals such as our beloved sea turtles. Unfortunately, during this period, more than half of our team came down with chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness that causes severe joint pain that can last anywhere from three months to up to a year. Thankfully, everyone has now recovered, although some are still experiencing lingering joint pain.

At the same time, we have already started planning for World Ocean Day in June. We have some exciting ideas in mind, and because of that, the preparations need to start early. One of our plans is to organize a movie day for more than 50 students, where they will watch a film about the ocean, followed by a panel discussion. Around the same time, we are also planning a recycling fair, where organizations and companies working in recycling will have the opportunity to showcase their work. We will also host mini-workshops to teach people about recycling, how to do it properly, and why it matters.

You may be wondering what all of this has to do with sea turtles and creating sea turtle heroes. The connection is, unfortunately, very clear. Research suggests that 52% of the world’s sea turtles have eaten plastic waste, and for 22% of turtles, ingesting plastic can be a death sentence. Even when turtles survive, consuming plastic can make them unnaturally buoyant, which can stunt their growth and slow their reproduction rates.

If we want to protect these amazing animals, we all have a role to play in reducing plastic pollution by recycling more and using less single-use plastic. As an organization, we are also working toward policy solutions, including Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes that place greater responsibility for plastic waste on the companies that produce or import these materials.

Of course, we are also planning our vacation activities with the children of Galibi. If you remember (and if you don’t, go back and read our last blog post ), during our previous activities, we tried something new by using theatre to talk about the conservation challenges affecting sea turtles. It was a huge success, and the children really enjoyed it! Since then, we’ve been thinking about other creative ways to share information and encourage broader participation. It’s an ongoing process, but we’re excited to see what new ideas will come to life.

Through it all, working in sickness and in health, our commitment remains the same: protecting sea turtles and inspiring the next generation of sea turtle heroes who will continue this important work for years to come. As always, thank you for following our journey and for supporting the work we do to protect sea turtles and their habitats.

On Saturday, October 4, the Green Heritage Fund Suriname (GHFS) team set out for Galibi, together with an enthusiastic group of volunteers. The day started early, with the team leaving the city at 8:30 a.m. and reaching Albina around 11:30. After that, the adventure really began; strong currents and choppy waters meant the boat ride took longer than expected, and it wasn’t until 2:30 p.m. that everyone finally arrived in the village.

After a quick lunch, ten volunteers and several representatives from STIDUNAL, a local community organization, headed straight to Tijgerbank, one of the areas where fishing gear is frequently dumped by fishermen. What may look like harmless debris is in fact incredibly dangerous for nesting sea turtles and hatchlings. These nets trap animals, damage the beach, and obstruct baby turtles trying to reach the sea. The team collected 490 kg of abandoned fishing nets, along with 88 kg of additional waste. Every kilo removed represents one less threat to the turtles that return to these beaches year after year.

Meanwhile, another cleanup was organized in the village, led by GHFS in collaboration with SuReSur, STIDUNAL, a local organization for the sustainable development of Galibi, and Mijrisi Tours, a local tour operator. This activity brought together 32 enthusiastic local youth, parents, and GHFS staff, all working side by side to restore their coastline. By the end of the day, they had filled 50 bags with 108.1 kg of waste.

In the evening, community members gathered to watch short films created by local children as part of “Mi Torii, Mijn Verhaal” (My Story), an art and exchange project by Stichting Villa Zapakara. The kids had spent weeks learning stop-motion techniques and crafting spoken word poetry to narrate their own stories.

Maggie Scheimtz, who joined the GHFS trip and also worked on the project, shared heartfelt reflections about the creativity, confidence, and joy she witnessed while working with the children. One of the young filmmakers also spoke about his journey, from making the film in the village to travelling to Paramaribo to see it screened at the cinema.

On Sunday, Maggie hosted a theater workshop for the children of Galibi. After warm-up games and an icebreaker, the kids dove into the theme of storytelling, why it matters, and how stories help us protect what we value. They each wrote a short story about the environment or nature, created masks to bring their characters to life, and ended the day performing their own mini-plays. The smiles, excitement, and confidence on their faces said it all: these children have powerful stories to tell, and when they speak, the whole community listens.