
Each year, just as endangered sea turtles make their way to the white-sand beaches of Alabama’s shoreline to nest, hundreds of volunteers gear up for another season of Share the Beach activities! Alabama's sea turtle nesting and hatching season runs from May through October and this is the place for you to learn more about those amazing creatures and how you can help!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Alabama Coastal Foundation's Share the Beach program. We are delighted to announce that the volunteer kickoff meetings for our Share the Beach sea turtle conservation program have been set:
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The meeting for our Baldwin County coastline will take place at 6:00pm on Tuesday, March 18 at the Erie Meyer Civic Center (1930 West 2nd Street, Gulf Shores, AL 36542).
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We are also hosting a kickoff meeting at 6:00pm on Thursday, March 20 in Shelby Auditorium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528).
Returning volunteers and anyone interested in becoming a new volunteer must attend one of these meetings.
The objectives of the Alabama Coastal Foundation's Share the Beach program are:
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To mitigate human-related impacts to sea turtles, especially the effects of artificial light pollution;
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To monitor sea turtle nests and hatchlings on the Alabama Gulf Coast; and,
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To promote the conservation of sea turtles in Alabama through public outreach and education.
Sea turtle monitoring in Alabama started in 2003 and two years later the Friends of the Bon Secour Wildlife Refuge founded Share the Beach, an all volunteer program. Once the program became to large at the end of 2016, the Friends group asked ACF to lead Share the Beach and that transition happened in January of 2018. Volunteers can help protect the nesting sea turtles and their habitat under these guidelines.
Share the Beach volunteers patrol the beach, educate the public and school groups, conduct late-night nest observations, and assist with supply and equipment preparations. The dedicated volunteers of the Share the Beach program help ensure the support and protection of these popular endangered ocean creatures when they are just tiny turtles beginning their journey.
We ask that you take the time to learn more about our little marine friends, and how you can recognize their nests, increase their chances of survival, and support the volunteers who Share the Beach with them each year.
For Adopt-a-Nest Sponsorships options, click our Donate button and go to the bottom of the page:



Alabama Sea Turtle Hotline:
1-866-Sea-Turtle (1-866-732-8878)
Share the Beach Director: Rachael Holdsworth