With increased volunteers, more turtle patrols can be accomplished and the chance of finding nests before poachers increases. With more nest collections, the number of released turtles can expect to increase. Percent hatching of the egss collected increases as volunteers become more educated and learn how to dig nests properly. This knowledge goes hand in hand with volunteers who stay for longer periods.
Why did our hatchling number decrease in the 2019-2020 season?
A main possibility outside of the La Niña is that our volunteer numbers are not as consistent as we’d like. Increased volunteer participation allows more patrols to be accomplished. It also allows the workload to be shared between more people so patrols can be done with more motivation and attentiveness. Volunteers are especially needed during the high season for turtle nesting, which is September and October. With increased patrolling, nest collection will undoubtedly increase. The graphs shown below compare the nests collected by volunteers and staff, and nests that met other fates.