Advocacy
Current Initiatives
One of the most impactful ways to show your Coastal Stewardship is to do your absolute best to REFUSE single use plastics. Single use plastics are a massive source of pollution in our oceans, and a common factor in the death of many of the turtles we are unable to rescue.
We always encourage the sustainable choice- reusable water bottles, metal straws, and compostable packing materials are great ways to remove single-use plastic from your day-to-day.
- Did you know that in the next ten years, the plastic in our oceans and along our coast is expected to triple?
- Right now, there are more microplastics in our waters than there are stars in the Milky Way?
- Do you stop and consider that the plastic bag or take-out container is harmful to the marine life? It is. Many hatchlings that wash back along our beaches are suffering from the impacts of mistaking these single use plastics for food. And once eaten, it leads to malnutrition and eventual starvation.
- When you choose to refuse single-use products, you increase the chance that our planet can recover from plastic overuse? Coastal Stewards commit to do our part and, together, we make a difference.
Past Initiatives
A crucial factor in the success of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center lies in the water. Not in any particular creature, but in the microscopic quality of the water itself.
In 2021, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center began having issues with the amount of oxygen contained within the water we pumped in. A very antiquated system left Turtle Rehab Specialists needing to supplement with extra tanks of oxygen to ensure our aquariums and turtle rehab operations would not come to a screeching halt.
Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards was proud to advocate for the replacement of this dated system that is so crucial to rehabilitation success. While the city and parks district were unable to secure the funding to fix these pumps, GLCS was proud to rise to the occasion and cover the cost.
