Turtle heroes: Protecting Sea Turtles in Suriname

In our last report, we announced that Dr. Christine Figgener was coming to Suriname. So we finally got to organize our first Sea Turtle Research and Monitoring workshop with a ton of theory and fun and relevant fieldwork.

Christine ran an intense program while WWF Guianas and the Nature Conservation Division informed the participants about the local context. And the traditional leaders of Galibi told the students about the relationship this indigenous community has with the sea turtles. They explained how their communities have been involved in sea turtle conservation for decades.

Christine taught about the biology of sea turtles, the threats they face, and different research techniques used to study sea turtles. The students actively participated in the theoretical course. They then went into the field with Dr. Figgener to Braamspunt and Galibi. The field course was really hands-on, and at night some of the students saw for the first time a sea turtle nesting. The practical hours consisted of the students making their own sand turtles and using those to learn how to measure a sea turtle and insert external and PIT tags.

Suriname's most extensive nesting beaches are in Galibi. And the traditional leaders of Galibi shared with us how we can help them better protect the sea turtles while supporting their livelihoods. Other organizations such as WWF Guianas, the Nature Conservation Division of our Ministry of Land Policy and Forest Management, the game wardens, Stidunal from Galibi, and the Anton de Kom University of Suriname helped make this workshop a success by sharing their work, experiences in the field, and threats to these animals.

In addition to this field course, we participated in regional meetings to develop an action plan for the North West Atlantic leatherback population organized by WWF Guianas. This population is on the decline in the Guianas and Trinidad and Tobago.

Awareness-raising and formal training about sea turtles and knowledge exchange with Dr. Christine Figgener are our most important steps to inspire sea turtle heroes. We will continue our efforts with your essential support so that at least one young person chooses to follow in Christine's footsteps for Suriname.