Loggerhead turtle nesting season has begun with the first nest being laid on Lighthouse Island in Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge earlier this month, and now, a local nonprofit has launched a campaign to fund a loggerhead sea turtle program.
An anonymous donor and member of the Charleston conservation community recently donated a collection of five hard-to-find Kentucky Bourbons from the Buffalo Trace Distillery to the Coastal Expeditions Foundation. While he prefers to remain anonymous, his gift will help support the organization’s sea turtle initiative.
The Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge is the most significant loggerhead sea turtle nesting site north of Florida on the Eastern seaboard. Between 2,000- 3,500 nests are laid on the barrier island beaches every summer, all of which are at risk of destruction due to coastal erosion and predators. Each year, a small team with the support of many volunteers, works to identify, categorize, protect from predators, and relocate nests when necessary, as well as inventory hatchling success rate.
Since 2017, The Coastal Expeditions Foundation has paid the seasonal salaries of the two wildlife technicians needed to lead the program, raising funds through special beach drops and community grassroots donations. Following the pandemic, the Foundation had to dip into reserves to sustain the program. Funds from the raffle will help to get the program funded for this next season.
Goat Island Treasure Boxes is also assisting through the creation of a unique showpiece bottle signifying the important Cape Romain work. One special bourbon bottle has become a “Blanton's Turtle Single Barrel.” The horse and jockey at the top of the original bottle were replaced with a loggerhead turtle donated by Goat Island Treasure Boxes.
Each $100 ticket protects the equivalent of fifteen nests in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and gives each purchaser the chance to win a unique collection of Kentucky Bourbons from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The 2019 George T. Stagg has a value of over $1,500 alone!
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