This spring, Thousand Trails and Encore RV Resorts will announce a partnership with Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC). Comprising innovators, explorers, and discoverers, LMC has paved the way for sea turtle conservation with cutting-edge research, initiatives, and programs. Recognized as one of the world’s most unique cultural destinations, the Center’s close proximity to the biodiverse Gulf Stream affords its researchers, educators, and conservationists access to untapped data and experiences. With data at its fingertips, LMC is able to network with organizations across the world to design effective marine debris prevention programs and sea turtle-saving procedures. Through its four core pillars of rehabilitation, research, education, and conservation, the Center serves as a conservation hub with international reach.
Last year, the Center celebrated several accomplishments including:
- Reaching 20 countries with its mission
- Releasing 48 treated sea turtles back into the wild
- Documenting and protecting more than 16,500 sea turtle nests
- Removing 99,967 pieces of marine debris during underwater and coastal cleanups
- Releasing 802 sea turtle hatchlings back into the wild
As a worldwide agent of ocean conservation, LMC has developed and implemented comprehensive solutions to man-made threats impacting sea turtles. Designed to reduce common injuries seen in sea turtle patients, LMC’s conservation efforts focus on providing individuals and industry partners with actionable solutions.
Thousand Trails and Encore RV Resorts will collaborate with LMC to encourage environmentalism and sea turtle research, including on-premise conservation solutions and awareness campaigns to share marine education programs at every touchpoint.
While many members and guests have a clear interest in the great outdoors, the LMC recommends a few attainable conservation practices for campers and RVers, such as:
- Properly recycling monofilament lines at fishing sites to prevent derelict marine debris. It could easily drift elsewhere and entangle or strangulate marine life as well as nearby wildlife.
- Being cognizant of single-use plastics at restaurants or while camping. Plastics eventually break down into nano plastics and trickle into the food and water we consume.
- Supporting local beaches during sea turtle nesting season. Best practices involve turning off artificial lights at night, knocking over sandcastles and filling in holes, collecting beach chairs, and so on.
It’s a common mantra at LMC that “the sea turtles tell us the health of the ocean and the ocean tells us the health of our planet.” Through the unwavering support of many, LMC is able to obtain innovative medicine, technologies, and procedures that will be groundbreaking for the habitats we heavily depend on. Thanks to the partnership with Thousand Trails and Encore RV Resorts, LMC can share its mission and educate more people on the Center’s four core pillars.
For more adventures to be had, and places to explore, it’s critical that we protect our greatest environmental assets now. Learn more about the Loggerhead Marinelife Center by visiting marinelife.org.