Sea turtles are nature’s aquatic grass grazers, perusing the open coastal seas and bringing life along with them. Once considered a cornerstone of all marine animal life, now face a life-threatening endangerment through habitat destruction and natural life-cycle interruption!
Of the seven known sea turtle species that charm our oceans, six are classified as endangered or critically threatened due to human activities or ways of life. Some of the most notable species of sea turtles you may know are the green turtle, the hawksbill turtle, and the leatherback turtle!
Hope is never lost, though. The rising number of good-hearted people just like you are stepping up to help! The first step to solving any problem is being informed about what that problem is and understanding what may be done at the individual level to aid in conservation efforts.
Make no mistake, time will never be on our side, and it is up to us in this moment to make the difference. Here at The Honu Collection, we are whole-heartedly dedicated to making every contribution we can to push the momentum in sea turtles’ favor and tip the scale back to a more connected, stable, and integrated way of life with our aquatic companions. Below are five immediate ways that you as an individual can help make a difference with us!
1. Eliminate plastic Use
As we well know, plastic pollution is a serious problem that affects aquatic communities worldwide. A recent study noted by National Geographic and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that plastic bag waste had been found at the deepest point of our oceans, the Mariana Trench, at a depth of 36,000 ft.!
Plastic is the most prevalent type of marine debris pollution found in our oceans and the Great Lakes. There are some debris as large a basketball and as small as a microscopic bead. The threat to all sea life, specifically sea turtles, is unimaginable and will continue to worsen if we do not act.
Modern toxic forms of plastic have been mass produced since the 1940s and 50s and are found in almost every major commodity that the public consumes daily. So, what’s being done to help clean up this problem and our oceans?
Aside from global initiatives, The Honu Collection dedicates resources from its sales to help clean the oceans in its immediate community. With your help, we take the time, money and energy necessary to do our part and clean up what we can, where we can, to protect what we can.
Want to Help? Support The Sea Turtles By Shopping The Honu Collection Here.
2. Support the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund
Since 1996, the Hawai’i Wildlife Fund (HWF) has been actively protecting and promoting the conservation of native marine life and habitat. As a registered 501(c)(3), the HWF focuses on coastal wildlife species, including the hawksbill sea turtle (honu’ea) and the Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu).
The Honu Collection sponsors and is actively engaged with this wonderful community of volunteers who spend their time focusing on outreach, education, marine debris and pollution removal from coastal habitats, conservation efforts, and legal efforts that help keep the native marine life of Hawai’i breathing and flourishing.
From youth outreach and education to trash cleanup, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and make a real difference in protecting the environment and the life that swims, lives, and thrives in it. Though it changes month to month, a percentage of our proceeds are sent to the HWF to aid in these conservation efforts, also giving us the resources to be present and help ourselves.
Find more direct information on the HWF and how to get involved by visiting wildhawaii.org!
3. Support Our New Sea Turtle Discovery Center
The Honu Collection believes that the success and continuation of conservation efforts begins with the education of our communities and youth. Training ourselves to think and act in a way that is more in tune with our environments, now, is crucial to creating loving and nurturing environments in the future.
What may be called a discovery of marine life will soon turn into a fully grown love for all animals and plants that we are so graciously accompanied by on this life journey, including sea turtles! We have partnered with local conservation groups and organizations to bring about the next generation of learning centers right here in Hawaii.
As an ongoing effort, this new discovery center will serve as a center point for marine study and, well, discovery! It is a culmination of hearts, minds, and goodwill coming together to support the prosperity of sea turtles and all native marine life here on Hawai’i’s islands and beyond.
We believe that all life is connected as an intricate web of be-ing and discovering this for oneself is one of the most powerful antidotes to what pests the modern world and its inhabitants. By discovering what marine life does for us, we are able to discover what we may do for life itself. Each purchase through The Honu Collection gives hope that more people will have the chance to discover this reason for themselves!
4. Support Marine Life Rescue Initiatives
Sea turtle conservation, and marine life conservation, isn’t restricted to just Hawai’i. In fact, there are multiple global initiatives that actively support and work to protect marine life from fishing pollution, stranding, and more.
The Honu Collection is dedicated to making a difference on a local and global level, sending 10% of all proceeds directly to organizations and nonprofits around the world to aid in these efforts. By supporting these initiatives, you have a direct hand in helping save precious marine life.
For decades, organizations such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have been traveling and responding to save and protect marine animals and hold the commitment to driving hope, conservation, and research. Find out more on how to become directly involved by visiting ifaw.org!
5. Support The Honu Collection
There is a reason we make the beautiful jewelry we do in support of the sea turtles and marine life around Hawai’i! Some time ago, we realized that there was a fundamental problem in giving time, energy, or monetary donations to organizations regardless of how reputable or well-known they are.
We found it necessary to create something tangible that may be held, or worn, as a representation of the support given to these beautiful creatures that light up the oceanic world. So, we set out to make something so enchanting that it mirrors the beauty it captures!
The Honu Collection was born out of the curiosity for Hawai’i’s sea turtles and the passion felt for the need to protect and help, in any way possible, the conservation of them in their natural habitats both here in Hawai’i and around the world. Each piece of jewelry is hand-crafted and a part of seven color stories representing Akoni (Worthy), Kalele (Trust), Mahalo (Gratitude), Hana (Creativity), Malama (Protect), Kuipo (Sweetheart), and the newly added Ohana (Family).
Each purchase represents a commitment to helping preserve the marine life each piece represents, and with it, you are directly contributing to the conservation efforts of sea turtles and the organizations that further support them.
Will you join us? Pledge your support and work together with us to protect our oceans and the precious life that swims within! Visit seaturtlejewelry.com to learn more and shop today!
Citations
- “Plastic.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic#History.
- “Sea Turtle.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/species/sea-turtle.
- US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “A Sea Turtle Listicle.” Fascinating Facts, 16 June 2015, oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/june15/sea-turtles.html.
- “Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?” Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, www.bonaireturtles.org/wp/explore/why-are-sea-turtles-endangered/.
- “Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?” Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire, www.bonaireturtles.org/wp/explore/why-are-sea-turtles-endangered/.