Thank you for your interest in the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association Adopt-A-Nest! Your tax-deductible $125 adoption donation supports a sea turtle nest laid on the beaches of Gasparilla Island. Adopting gives you the unique opportunity to be an essential part of our sea turtle monitoring and conservation efforts.
The 2024 Adopt-A-Nest program has concluded for 2024. Make sure to visit again for the opening of the next season in May, 2025.
As an Adopt-A-Nest parent, you will receive the following gifts as thank you for your adoption:
- A nest stake with your or designated name(s) prominently displayed throughout the nest’s incubation period, an estimated 45 to 70 days
- Emailed Adoption Certificate upon nest assignment
- Email notification when your nest has hatched
- Once your adopted nest has hatched and excavated, you will receive the
following:- Nest data – including the number of eggs laid, species, date of hatch
- Stake tag
Previous Adopt-A-Nest parents adopted to mark special occasions such as:
- Weddings
- Anniversaries
- Birthdays
- Honor/Memory of a loved one
We are unable to provide the exact location of nests or accept requests for specific beach locations.
Sea turtle nesting season is from May 1 to October 31. Adoption plaques will start being placed on adopted nests by early to late June as our patrol teams identify viable nests.
All Adopt-a-Nests are symbolic adoptions of a sea turtle nest. No individual or group participating in our adoption program may claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, egg, or hatchling. Each adoption is a donation to support the Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association. For those that purchase an Adopt-a-Nest, in the unfortunate event that the nest is lost due to a natural disturbance (such as predation or a natural disaster), there will be no refund nor re-assignment of a new nest. Please allow Boca Grande Sea Turtle Association at least two weeks after a significant natural disturbance event to provide an in-depth update on the status of the sea turtle nests.
