Conflict Island's Conservation Turtle Initiative
Turtle Project Outline
At Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative we are dedicated to science-based conservation, with a focus on community education. Through the Conservation Initiative, we aim to develop a long-term turtle tagging program to monitor the populations at the Conflict Islands and their connections to the Coral Sea. This project will study the population of nesting female green and hawksbill turtles to create a baseline data-set and to assess the effectiveness of ongoing conservation efforts in the area.
Interns will also have the opportunity to assist with egg collection for our Turtle Hatchery and learn about sea turtle husbandry at our Turtle Nursery.
Turtle Initiative Aims
Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn from our Marine Biologist and gain field experience, while developing new skills that will assist with future jobs and university research projects.
By the end of the Volunteer Program you will be able to:
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Correctly apply flipper tags to nesting sea turtles
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Conduct field research in a remote area
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Gain Leadership skills
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Team work, with other volunteers and local staff
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Sea turtle husbandry (food preparation, cleaning, feeding and medicating)
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How to handle small sea turtles
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Weighing and measuring animals for scientific data collection
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Communication skills
As volunteers you will have access to activities, including, unlimited snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up paddle-boards and scuba diving with our local dive master!
Conduct community education with local island groups
Volunteers will have the opportunity to visit one of the local island groups during their time with the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative. These visits will be to either Paneaeti Islands or the Engineer Group and will involve community education. Volunteers will be required to meet with the islanders to discuss conservation issues and protecting sea turtles at the Conflict Islands and throughout Papua New Guinea. Children’s activities will also be run by the volunteers, these activities will have a turtle conservation message.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring any old clothes or spare stationary as a donation to these island groups, as they are extremely remote areas and it is often difficult for locals to get supplies.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to buy souvenirs and other items at these neighboring islands.