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Adopt a nest: How you can help sea turtles this nesting season

It’s sea turtle nesting season and Action News Jax and The Friends of the GTM Reserve are teaming up to support the Adopt a Nest program at the GTM Research Reserve.
The Adopt a Nest program lets you adopt a local sea turtle nest of your own. The Adopt a Nest program supports over 25 years of marine turtle research and offers a unique opportunity for people to learn about sea turtle behavior and nesting success.
The Marine Turtle Patrol, an all-volunteer initiative, monitors all nesting activity for ongoing research and monitoring of Atlantic green, loggerhead and leatherback marine turtles that come to North Florida to nest annually. Proceeds from the program go toward needed equipment, materials and supplies.
Sea turtle nest adoption season is May 1 to July 31, with all adoptions made after May 31 benefiting the 2019 season. Turtle nests are limited, so the Friends encourage those interested in adoption to do so quickly. Adoption levels are Turtle Buddy at the $100 level, Turtle Bestie at the $250 level, and Proud Turtle Parent at the $500 level. 
To learn more about the benefits of adoption, click here. You can also email Shannon.Rininger@dep.state.fl.us or call (904) 823-4500. To learn how to become a member of the Friends of the GTM Reserve, click here.