Sea Turtles 911

Sea Turtles are Endangered: Help!
   School Trip for School Groups to Volunteer to Save Sea Turtles

Family ecotourism Family tourist volunteer to help sea turtle Eco tourist helps sea turtle Medication for sea turtles Antibiotic eyedrops for sea turtle Eco tourists help tubefeed sea turtle Interns with hatchling sea turtles Eco tourists trek in Rainforest Rainforest stream Rainforest stream Rainforest stream Hot springs pools Hot springs pools Red wine springs pool Coffee springs pool Interns tubefeeding sea turtle Intern inspecting plastron of sea turtle Intern with rescued sea turtle 		School Field Trip to China to Save Sea Turtles

Program Description

Sea Turtles 911 offers 3-7 day school field trips for school groups looking to offer students the chance to experience conservation work firsthand. Students are able to gain hands-on experience with one of the world’s most ancient creatures: sea turtles. Since education is a major part of species preservation and restoration, students are exposed to many different aspects of conservation efforts throughout their stay.

While on these visits, focus will be put on exposing students to the physical work involved in sea turtle conservation as well as to the community education that takes place. Students will perform all daily sea turtle husbandry tasks, as well as weigh and measure sea turtle hospital patients for records to be used in future research. Maintenance work on the floating hospital will also be performed as necessary, including changing nets, picking trash out of enclosures, basic carpentry and painting.

Throughout the stay, various games and activities will take place at different locations including the floating hospital, a local beach, fishermen's floating homes and the primary volunteer house. These activities are aimed at making individuals think about extinction and conservation in a new way.

Community Involvement

We believe it is a necessary step in any conservation setting to get involved with the local people to instill in them an appreciation for ocean diversity, as well as show them how working together to save sea turtles benefits the community as well as the environment. To do this, students will be involved in beach cleanups and tourist education. When performing beach clean ups, visiting students will partner with local students to clean trash off a nearby beach. By joining together, teenagers from two very different backgrounds will learn how they can work together to do something for the betterment of the ocean. On the days when beach clean ups are performed, both local and visiting students will pass out fliers and speak with people coming to visit a local tourist attraction about sea turtle awareness and conservation. This also allows both groups of students to actively promote environmental stewardship.

We can also arrange community service activities per school request including but not limited to: teaching ocean-focused English at the local elementary school to very excited and eager students or painting and basic carpentry on local fishermen's floating homes.

Experience Rural Chinese Culture

Students will be exposed to rural life in all aspects of their time here. They will travel by local bus and taxi boats, shop in family owned stores, and sample the array of delicious 'street food' sold in family stalls offered every night. Students will also have the option to have dinner with a local family in the floating fishing village. This cross-cultural experience allows students to see what life is like for families living every day on the water. Students will experience a unique way of life by directly showing them how these people live and work on a daily basis.

Optional Outings (Whale Sharks, Dolphins, Rainforest, and more!)

School groups also have the opportunity to take supplementary trips around Hainan Island to visit ecological parks, learn about other important and endangered animal species, lounge on the beautiful beaches of Sanya, and so much more! Please email us to inquire about current options.

IB Benefits

Earn hours towards CAS while working with locals in community outreach programs and service projects. Great for Group 4 Projects as well—Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, etc.

Where Are We Located?

Our sea turtle hospital is located in a floating fishing village near the city of Sanya on Hainan Island, a famous international tropical seaside resort area, which is often referred to as the "Hawaii of China." Our programs are located in and around the southern part of Hainan.

Getting To Us

We are glad to help organize travel if needed. The best way to get to us is flying to Haikou city (airport code: HAK), Hainan Island, from any major Chinese city, including Hong Kong.

Food and Lodging

Delicious culturally local meals will be prepared by local family restaurants, all locally grown and raised food being purchased at the open-air farmer's market. Accommodations will be arranged at a local hotel that provides air-conditioned rooms.

Vegetarian, Halal, and other special diet requirements can be arranged per request.

Trip Cost

Since we are a registered non-profit, we rely on program fees to fuel our mission to save sea turtles from extinction. Our School Trip Program is 400 RMB Yuan (Chinese currency) per person per day.
The fee covers the costs of:
  • Educational program specially designed to fit the needs and requests of your school
  • Hotel lodging
  • Food (3 meals per day)
  • Transportation from airport (pickup and drop off)
  • Volunteer T-shirt
Optional Outings incur a separate fee, please contact us for more information.

Group Registration Requirements

Ideal group size for optimal hands-on experience is 10-20 students, however we have worked with much larger groups and can be arranged per request.

We request a 4-week minimum group registration deadline prior to date of arrival. Because we only host one group at a time, we recommend reserving your school trip dates as early as possible. To register, complete the Program Registration Form.

Questions?

Please review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

For all other inquiries or to register for this trip, please contact us at: volunteer@seaturtles911.org

     
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