Grant: 26-018E
Project Title: Expanding Wildlife Lighting Awareness in Florida
Project Manager: Rachel Tighe
Organization: Sea Turtle Conservancy (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $27,084.75
Completion Date:
Summary: Poorly-managed coastal lighting is a major threat to Florida's globally-important sea turtles. To address this problem, local code enforcement and building officials, businesses, and property representatives must be educated about wildlife lighting. For more than 15 years, Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) has been working to mitigate the impacts of artificial light on nesting beaches. By conducting free training workshops for code enforcement and building personnel, STC ensures that those tasked with implementing lighting ordinances are equipped with the tools to effectively address problematic coastal lights. Through its Home Improvement Store and Real Estate Initiatives, STC is educating two important audiences that historically have been difficult to reach, about the role they play in protecting sea turtles. By utilizing our existing connections within the lighting industry to stock wildlife lighting products in stores, and partnering with real estate agents to provide new property owners with educational packets about the natural resources in their backyards, STC is filling an important knowledge gap. Through this project, STC will continue planning and conducting lighting workshops and to expand its Home Improvement Store and Real Estate Initiatives.
Results: