Sea turtle license plate money supports local sea turtle monitoring program

 Money from the sale of Florida's sea turtle license plate is going to help monitor sea turtle nesting in our area.

The Sea Turtle Conservancy Sea Turtle Grants Program, funded through Florida’s specialty license plate sales, awarded a grant to the Friends of St. Joseph State Parks to help them monitor sea turtle nesting activities at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

The State Park accounts for over 10% of all loggerhead nests laid in the panhandle, but reaching some of the nests can be tricky

Large amounts of natural erosion has washed away beach habitat, and made it harder for park staff to collect important sea turtle nesting data.

The grant allowed the Friends of St. Joseph State Parks to purchase a new Utility Vehicles and two GPS units which were used by six student interns from Florida State University to conduct important daily nesting surveys on about six miles of beach.

The financial assistance will ensure that the State Park can continue to provide vital information regarding sea turtle nesting in the Florida panhandle.

To learn more about the Sea Turtle Grants Program and the "Helping Sea Turtles Survive" specialty license plate, please visit www.helpingseaturtles.org.

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