Turtle biologist Luis Fonseca López with a sea turtle (photo courtesy of Luis Fonseca)
In September, GDFCF used the crowdfunding platform GlobalGiving Foundation to raise funds to repair Estación Nancite, one of the most remote stations in Área de Conservación Guanacaste. Our goal was to raise $12,000 to replace the roof and address some foundation and other issues facing the aging building. The station is currently effectively closed, as it is no longer safe to house researchers, student groups, or volunteers. It is, however, a critical spot for sea turtle and jaguar research, so it is a key goal of ACG to have the station functionable once again.
Thanks to an amazing roster of donors, we were able to raise well above our goal, reaching close to $16,000 in funds from more than 80 individuals! This funding will allow us to not only repair the station, but will also help us begin to replace an aging and unreliable drinking water system.
We also graduated from the GlobalGiving Accelerator program, gaining entry into the GlobalGiving marketplace and becoming a recognized partner of GlobalGiving, which means we can use this platform in the future for other fundraising projects.
"We're thrilled to have Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund as part of our community. Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund has met our rigorous vetting standards for trust and community support, and we're committed to providing tools, training, and support as they learn, grow and become more effective," said Alix Guerrier, CEO of GlobalGiving. "GlobalGiving donors value the opportunity to support nonprofits like GDFCF, knowing that they'll get regular updates about how their donations are put to work."
ACG hopes to begin the station repairs within the next couple of months; check back here for updates on our progress. And, again, thank you to everyone who donated. If you would like to help with this project, we continue to need funding to support the sea turtle and jaguar research conducted by turtle biologist Luis Fonseca López at Playa Nancite. Please donate here, and add a note saying it is for "sea turtle research in Playa Nancite."