Grant: 24-034E
Project Title: Changing Hearts and Minds: Sea Turtles Are Our Thing!
Project Manager: Carmen Reynolds
Organization: Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center (Non-Profit Organization)
Grant Amount: $7,110.00
Completion Date: 2024-10-22
Summary: This project will enable our guests to wait comfortably for admission to the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. Due to capacity limitations (fire marshal) of only 60 guests allowed admittance at once, we must hold them outside in a queue. Our picnic tables have broken down from the elements and one recently fell apart. In the interest of safety and continued throughput of our guests in learning about sea turtles, we need six ADA-compliant picnic tables as replacements which would allow wheelchairs and walkers to pull up easily at the specially designed extended ends of the tables. We feel everyone should be included in obtaining a chance to learn about sea turtles. 
Results: The ADA-compliant Picnic Tables (5) have been ordered, delivered, assembled and are in use! These work out great for our Guests to utilize while waiting outside in the queue. However, we were not advised about the shipping and handling costs which were more than $500, so we had to reduce the number of Picnic Tables we ordered, so it was five not six. We made numerous trips to acquire all the PVC pipe, elbow joints, marine camouflage material and carpeting for "little" knees crawling around in the Exhibit which will make it more comfortable for the kiddos who want to ensure a sea turtle can get out of the TED Device safely. We had to wait a while for the Sea Turtle License Plate sign to come in, but we finally received it and placed it on the front of our building the week of July 15. We are so PROUD to display it!