Seacology’s Board of Directors has approved 13 new projects, the most in a single meeting since 2005. These partnerships will help protect or restore more than 32,000 acres of island habitat in 10 countries. They include our first-ever projects in the Dominican Republic—three of them—and Ireland. They include our first new project in Malaysia in eight years and our first in the Cook Islands in seven. Our project in Ireland is the first time we’ve worked to protect a peatland ecosystem, which like mangroves and seagrass, sequesters enormous amounts of carbon.

These protections will benefit migratory shorebirds, dugongs, sea turtles, and countless other island species. We’re incredibly excited to begin working with our new partners in the following locations:

Chile: Doña Sebastiana Island
Eventual declaration of 24,710-acre permanent marine protected area, in exchange for development of management plan, and equipment to promote ecotourism

Cook Islands: Mangaia
Protection of 4,500 acres of forest habitat of the Mangaia kingfisher (tanga’eo) for 15 years, in exchange for refurbishing of school building and purchase of tools and equipment for skilled trades courses

Dominican Republic: Las Garitas
Awareness and promotion of mangrove ecosystem conservation, in exchange for mangrove boardwalk for environmental education and ecotourism

Dominican Republic: Montecristi Province
Community engagement in mangrove protection, in exchange for training and employment of youth in kayak mangrove tourism

Dominican Republic: Oviedo Lagoon
Community patrol and monitoring in Jaragua National Park, in exchange for capacity-building and infrastructure for ecotourism

Grenada: Carriacou Island
Mangrove replanting in 19-acre area, conservation of mangroves and sea turtle nesting habitat for 10 years, in exchange for materials and training for women’s crafts cooperative

Indonesia: Pantai Bahagia Village
Protection of 50 acres of mangroves plus replanting of 197 acres for 15 years, in exchange for community center to promote mangrove education, and water-storage tanks

Ireland: Lodge Bog
Restoration of 86 acres of ecologically valuable peatland and increased habitat for the threatened curlew and environmental education for schoolchildren

Kenya: Kirepwe Island
Protection of a 865-acre mangrove forest for 20 years, in exchange for water cistern construction and repair and mangrove replanting

Malaysia: Mangkadait Village
Protection of 600-acre forest watershed for 20 years, in exchange for installation of 10-kilometer, gravity-fed pipe to provide clean water

Palau: Ngerkeklau Island
Permanent protection of 37 acres of dugong and sea turtle habitat and environmental education, in exchange for construction of pier, plant nursery, and storage for educational equipment

Peru: Whalebone and Love Islands
Protection of 1,235 acres and reforestation of five acres of mangroves for 15 years, in exchange for interpretive center in Puerto Pizarro, trash collection, and interpretive trail on Love Island

Philippines: Agdangan Municipality
Protection of two no-take fish sanctuaries (301 acres total) and 124 acres of mangroves for 15 years, in exchange for construction of an environmental education center and 400-meter mangrove boardwalk