With the help of grants, donations, and platforms such as Give Miami Day, we can continue our mission of conserving and protecting our local environment. Below, we've included a brief summary, needed items, and a general cost of what it takes for our projects to run each year. Any support we receive from you will be instrumental in allowing us to continue this work!
1) Sea Turtle Nesting Surveys: a 6-month seasonal project that monitors, tracks, and documents marine sea turtle nesting activity on Virginia Key to observe sea turtle population trends and coordinate conservation efforts
Annual Cost to Maintain: ~$15,000
Needed Items: UTV maintenance and fuel, stakes, nest marking supplies, data tracking supplies, etc.
2) Virginia Key Coastal Enhancement Expansion Project: a beach enhancement project focused on removing marine debris and invasive/exotic vegetation and replacing them with native plants. Building on our successes on Darwin Beach, we are expanding our efforts down Virginia Key. An ongoing project, the end goal is to have the island represent a native, South Florida coastal ecosystem.
Cost: $20,000
Needed items: outdoor equipment, native plants, food for volunteers, invasive vegetation tools, etc.
3) Safe Hatch Initiative: a research project aimed at increasing the number of loggerhead sea turtles reaching the Atlantic Ocean by monitoring nesting predation activity on Historic Virginia Key. By assessing nest activity throughout the season, MORAES and our partnering organizations, can determine the best ecological methods that give our hatchling sea turtles the best chance of survival.
Cost: $20,000
Needed Items: trail cameras, trail camera analysis, wildlife experts, relocation equipment, etc.
Additionally we seek funds to compensate interns, support outreach endeavors, and provide basic field equipment for our staff, interns, and volunteers. We want to continue tackling these, and other local environmental issues in the future with innovative research and conservation techniques. If you ever want to know more about what we do, or if you're interested in volunteering, our email is info@soflomoraes.com
Committed to the understanding and protection of our local marine environment through conservation, research and environmental stewardship
Donations received today will go toward the continuation of our four current research projects: 1) The Virginia Key Coastal Expansion Project, 2) Virginia Key Sea Turtle Nesting Survey, and 3) Safe Hatch Initiative. For more information on these projects, please visit: www.soflomoraes.com
Your generous donations will allow our staff, interns, and volunteers to follow their passions, gain valuable field experience, give back to their community, and help our local environment in the process. Whether it's beach enhancement, protection of endangered sea turtles, or developing new and innovative methods to collect marine mammal data, MORAES was initiated by a few passionate people following their dreams. It continues today because of the support and generosity of people like you who believe in our mission.
Organization name
MORAES
Tax id (EIN)
84-2898638
Mission Category
Environment
Program Site Locations
Key Biscayne
Annual Operating Budget
$25,000 - $99,999
Primary Population Served
General Population, Youth & Children
Address
9440 SW 106 Avenue