Show your support for the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch by adopting a sea turtle nest that has been laid on the beaches of Anna Maria Island (AMI). As a premium for your $125 tax-deductible donation a plaque of your choice will be placed on a nest.
When the nest hatches and the data is collected, your adoption package will be mailed out (usually between September and November). You, or your recipient, will receive:
- Satisfaction of helping to save sea turtles on Anna Maria Island
- A personalized adoption certificate (via email)
- The location of your plaque (please email adoptaseaturtlenest@gmail.com to request the coordinates)
- The plaque from the nest
- Information about your nest written on the back of the plaque
- A letter of appreciation from the volunteers working on your nesting beaches
Please Note: We DO NOT let you know when your adopted nest will hatch. This is protected information that we do not give out.
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Use your adoption to promote a business or organization. It is great exposure to those walking the beach and a cool thing to display in the office afterward.
A printable adoption certificate will be sent by email to the person adopting the nest upon receipt of your order. You may then print it or forward it to the recipient of your choice. Certificates are not automatically generated; they are handled individually by staff and may take a few days. If you need one right away for a gift, contact the Adoption Coordinator.
Nesting season is April 15 through Oct 31. The handmade wooden plaques, assembled by our volunteers, are placed in the order they are received and as nest are laid. Plaques will be placed on the beach between mid-June through August. The plaques will remain on the nest for the approximately 2-month incubation period.
You may contact us to request the location of your Plaque on the beach. Please note the location may change during the time the plaque is on the beach. We sometimes have to pull all plaques for tropical weather/high surf events, when we put them back, they may go on a different nest.
Donations collected from our Suzi L. Fox Adopt a Nest Program provided funding for our educational outreach programs including the production of our many handouts given to visitors & residents of Anna Maria Island.
QUESTIONS? Contact the Adoption Coordinator at adoptaseaturtlenest@gmail.com
Requests for specific locations
We cannot honor ANY requests for specific locations. The plaques are placed on the beach once a week on the first suitable nest we find. Sea turtles may not lay nests in front of every property and not all sea turtle nests are suitable for adoptions. Placing each plaque at a specific nest or location adds too much complexity to the program. Your adoption is symbolic, you are making a donation to support the program and to support ALL nests on AMI.
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