Save the Gili Turtles & Help to Build a Hatchery

The end of the nesting season!

As we look back on the past quarter, Proyek Penyu has many milestones to shell-ebrate. We successfully concluded the nesting season at the end of September, only to be surprised by an additional turtle nest hatching on October 1st. This surprise extended the season and reminded us of the unpredictable yet incredible nature of conservation work in a changing global climate.

Throughout the season, we conducted 7 workshops with local businesses to raise awareness about turtle conservation. Encouraged by the positive response, we aim to double this number during next year’s nesting season, whilst modifying the training to make it suitable for kids for workshops in the local schools in Trawangan and GilI Air. 

We also observed unrecorded nests hatching, revealing both a gap in data collection and a positive takeaway: some areas of the beach remain safe for turtles to nest and incubate their eggs without human interference. These findings highlight the importance of balancing protection efforts with the turtles’ instincts for survival.  

Our team has grown in confidence when it comes to nest excavations, which occur 48 hours after initial hatching. This season, they successfully rescued several hatchlings that were too weak to dig themselves out. While rewarding, this delicate task underscores the importance of professional expertise to ensure the safety and success of our flippered friends.  

What’s Next for Proyek Penyu  

We are committed to enhancing our efforts and extending our impact. Our team of “turtle trainers” is preparing to improve monitoring techniques for the next nesting season, ensuring we are ready to protect every nest.  

To reduce administrative costs, we are collaborating with dedicated volunteer developers to build a website. Additionally, we are redesigning our educational materials to make them more accessible to local communities, tourists, and digital audiences alike.  

Networking remains a priority as we strengthen ties with international marine and wildlife experts. These relationships will help us create a robust emergency response network for any unforeseen situations.  

Finally, we’ve taken a significant step by submitting a research proposal to Mataram University, aiming to deepen our understanding of sea turtle behaviour and conservation strategies.  

Thank you!

This quarter has been turtley exhilarating, and we’re grateful for the ongoing support of our partners and community. With your help and generous donations, we’ll continue to make waves in turtle conservation and ensure a brighter future for these incredible creatures. 

Links:

• Helpful Turtle Conservation Flyers

Since our last update, we anticipated a successful season, but what we experienced exceeded our expectations!

Busy Turtle Nesting Season

With great excitement, the project manager has allocated more time to planning, data collection, and workshops, leading to significant progress for this busy season.

Social Media Impact  

We welcomed Yani, our new social media manager and turtle expert, dedicated to educating as many people as possible. She focuses our media on the following:

- Encouraging tourists to avoid headstarting projects.

- Guiding locals to report turtle nesting and hatching.

- Inspiring support for maintaining the project every nesting season.

- Reporting on every successful turtle hatchling release

If you havn’t followed our Instagram or Facebook accounts, please check them out!
Project Penyu Gili

Record-Breaking Numbers 

June alone saw a minimum of 15 nests and a record number of landings. The hatchlings spend 45-50 days incubating before journeying to the sea.

New tracking Volunteers

We have welcomed many new volunteers who help collect data on tracks and landings in the mornings and respond to evening call-outs for nesting or hatching turtles.

We hope by our next report, we shall have T-shirts and some upcycled eco-gifts where the sales go directly to promoting good education on the Gilis for turtle conservation.

Training and Workshops  

We conducted six 2-hour training sessions for volunteer recruitment and four workshops in Bahasa with local businesses. 

Exciting Discoveries

We finally confirmed Olive Ridley hatchlings, with nests found on both sides of the island. While green turtles frequent Gili waters, this year we see a significant presence of these endangered Olive Ridleys nesting on Gili beaches. We hope this will strengthen our case for the need to protect these precious nesting grounds

A turtle tragedy.

Unfortunately, we reported a fatality due to a boat strike with an adult green turtle. We hope this incident pressures boats to slow down in the Gili Matra MPA.

What is Proyek Penyu?

Proyek Penyu is an organization and a team of six passionate women from Gili Trawangan dedicated to protecting the turtle population on the Gilis. Our mission is to educate local businesses about turtles and their nesting habits through free but engaging 30-minute workshops. These presentations have already shown promising results, from small beach shacks to corporate events for PHM Hotels Indonesia.

We aim to create a network of businesses and staff who can report turtle activity on the beaches, enabling our team to respond swiftly. By empowering local resorts and their staff with this knowledge, we hope to make them stewards of their beach areas.

Free Turtle Workshops!

Recently, we held a successful workshop with the Villa Almarik staff. Their enthusiasm and quick action in reporting a female nesting on their beach lead to quick reactions from our team to protect the nest whilst the eggs are incubating. Such actions highlight the significant impact of our efforts and the growing interest in turtle conservation.

We offer free workshops and learning materials, to help businesses protect their beaches from plastic pollution and support turtle conservation.

And finally, a HUGE terima kasih,

Your donations are crucial for continuing our efforts to protect turtles in Gili Trawangan. The activities and workshops strengthen the case for the need for better turtle protection measures on the island. By supporting Proyek Penyu, you help safeguard the future of these magnificent creatures.

Links:

• Proyek Penyu Turtle Instagram Page