Our latest batch of new projects includes our first ever in Cameroon, El Salvador, and England! These partnerships will protect thousands of acres of threatened island habitat and the species that live there, improve access to clean water and electricity, and support sustainable livelihoods in communities around the world. They also protect three of the most important “blue carbon” ecosystems—mangroves, seagrass, and peatlands—which capture enormous amounts of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Brazil: Vila Velha
Families here will protect their island’s mangrove forests by removing trash, composting food waste, and building inexpensive systems to process household waste. A Seacology grant is funding household filters to purify brackish well water. It also supports environmental and cultural education for children and youth.

Cameroon: Tiko-Limbe Islands
This project will deter overfishing and mangrove-cutting, which threaten sea turtles, whales, manatees, and other endangered species. A health center and 40 households will get solar power, a big boon in a place where electricity is scarce. Solar-powered fish smokers and cold storage will also be provided for local artisanal fishers.

Chile: Puluqui Island
To protect peatlands and lagoons, which store the islanders’ scarce fresh water, our project partner will work toward prohibiting the extraction of peat moss on public property. Families will learn sustainable peatland management, and rural children will get environmental education, focusing on water and wildlife.

Dominican Republic: La Playita
This project will protect seagrass and mangroves ecosystems near the white sands of La Playita, a major tourist attraction. Fishermen will patrol the area and foster good fishing practices, and children will receive environmental education. New buoys will prevent mooring chains from tearing up seagrass beds.

El Salvador: Montecristo Island
Local fishermen will protect endangered marine turtles on one of the main turtle nesting sites in El Salvador. They will collect thousands of eggs, which will be kept safe from poachers and predators in a new hatchery. Groups of collectors will receive traditional fishing equipment, such as nets and small boats.

England: Seaview Village
Around the Isle of Wight, the heavy chains that attach boot moorings to the seafloor have ripped up precious seagrass beds. This project will map seagrass around the island, reseed denuded areas, and install eco-friendly boat moorings.

Federated States of Micronesia: Senipehn Community
Five villages are protecting rainforest, mangroves, seagrass, and reefs by imposing no-take areas and limits on fishing. A Seacology grant is funding a water storage system that will supply every household.

Guatemala: El Paredón
Every year, speeding boats injure and kill endangered marine turtles near their nesting beaches. This project will put up speed limit signs, increase patrols, and build a facility where injured turtles can be treated. Cooperating boat operators receive life jackets and nature brochures, which can help them guide tourists.  The collapsing roof of the building used for environmental education will be replaced.

Honduras: Guanaja Island Seagrass
Guanaja Island has pristine sandy beaches, flourishing seagrass meadows, and endangered sea turtles that enjoy both. But no one is sure exactly how much seagrass is around the island, or where. This project gets high school students involved in gathering data on seagrass cover, increasing their knowledge and appreciation of the ecosystems of their home island.

Madagascar: Ampondrahazo and Ambolobozokely Villages
Many species here, including one of the world’s rarest lemurs, are in danger of extinction. This project includes mangrove replanting; patrols to deter poachers, mangrove cutting, and destructive fishing practices; and monitoring of sea turtle nests. The villages will use a Seacology grant to repair their dilapidated primary schools and build a small ranger station.

Malaysia: Tiong Karanaan Village
This indigenous community is protecting 42 acres of forest that borders a 4,900-acre forest reserve full of endemic species. The community will use a Seacology grant to diversity villagers’ livelihoods by growing vegetables and fish with aquaponics and will also develop ecotourism, taking advantage of the area’s rich cultural history and beauty.

Mexico: Quintana Roo Keys
Seacology is helping local environmentalists seek legal protection for more than 5,000 of Mexico’s Caribbean keys. These small islands have valuable mangrove habitats, which support a huge variety of fish and wildlife. The government owns the islands, but they are being snapped up by private developers, who clear mangrove trees to make way for resorts or second homes.

Papua New Guinea: Mt. Bosavi
Almost 20 years ago, Seacology funded a community center near the enormous crater of an extinct volcano in the densely forested mountains of Papua New Guinea. It’s an isolated and astonishingly biodiverse area, and the local people protect it well. They are using a Seacology grant to rebuild the community center, which is used for education and many other purposes.

Philippines: Maite Village
People in this coastal village are protecting a coral reef from outsiders’ destructive fishing methods. They will use a Seacology grant to build a sturdy concrete guardhouse, replacing one destroyed by a typhoon. The building will serve not only as a place to store kayaks (used to patrol the reef) and hold meetings, but also as a strong, visible symbol of the community’s commitment to protecting its resources.