North East Sea Turtles (NEST) is a small-scale environmental community based organisation (CBO) based in Charlottevillethat aspires to protect the natural environment of the sea turtles in the North of Tobago.As one of the only locations on the island to see three nesting marine turtle species frequent the beaches – the Leatherback, Dermochelyscoriacea (Dermochelyidae), Hawksbill, EretmochelysImbricata, and Green, CheloniasMydas (both Cheloniidae) – Charlotteville has the unique potential to diversify her economy into eco-tourism through NEST. However, environmental literacy is desperately concerning; Despite legislation stating otherwise fauna in Charlotteville (and throughout much of Tobago) is eagerly sought after and the sea-turtles are no exception: Whilst current laws prohibit the taking of nesting females and eggs they are simply not enforced and thus the threat of illegal poaching faces every turtle that emerges to lay in Tobago. Until these challenges are addressed, the Charlotteville eco-tourism product shall remain a forlorn endeavour.

Despite NEST having been in existence since 2004, a myriad of hindrances – relational, topographic and financial – have prevented Charlotteville’s beaches from receiving frequent sea-turtle conservation efforts throughout the past decade. As a result, the state of sea-turtle populations in the North of Tobago is presently unknown and for the most part environmental literacy remains unchanged – the economic and ecological value of the nesting sea-turtles remains to be appreciated.With lacking foundation (members and technical experience) and financial support this status shan’t change, thus this nine month project has been designed, costing TT231511.58,with the general objective of establishing sustainable eco-tourism for the Charlotteville community through sea-turtle conservation which is anticipated to result fromimproving sustainability of protected areas through community-based actions. Key to the project’s success is hiring a Project Coordinator to train, lead, support and enable cohesion within the group and to further heighten environmental awareness within the community.

Through the implementation of the project activities (Training, Beach Patrols and Community Outreach) it is anticipated that NEST members should demonstrate the following- which are to be monitored and rated weekly with the projection of producing a positive correlation to signify success at meeting the specific objective:
a. Competent training in the monitoring of the three species of sea-turtles nesting in Tobago
b. The ability to collect sufficient data during beach patrolling
c. Developing management techniques
d. A commitment to community stewardship
e. Improved knowledge of the environmental networks in Tobago.
Additionally, it is projected that throughout the project’s duration a positive correlation shall be seen in the following GEF indicators and shall be evident for evaluation retrospectively:
BD1-The hectares of protected areas influenced (i.e. the beaches)
LV1-The number of participating community members (gender disaggregated)
PI1-Influence of local policy/ law enforcement
Through the success of the project in meeting the specific objective it is also anticipated thatfoundation shall be securely in place to achieve the general objective. For this outcome positive correlations are projected for the concerning the following indicators:
EM1-The number of indigenous peoples directly supported (by eco-tourism revenue)
BD2-The total value of biodiversity products/ecosystem services produced

To ensure success and community participation, audiences of this three-phased project shall incorporate: NEST; local fishermen/women; The Speyside Eco-Marine Park Rangers (SEMPR); Environment TOBAGO; Save Our Sea Turtles Tobago (SOS Tobago); Honorary Game Wardens from the Department Of Natural Resources and the Environment (DNRE); Nature Seekers, Trinidad; The Charlotteville Library, school and Radio Tambrin. The main target audience, the Charlotteville community, are expected to benefit not only in terms of empowering the locals to take pride in their environment, nor just encouraging an alternative form of revenue to the village community but also improving their local, regional and global networking.North East Sea Turtles (NEST) is a small-scale environmental community based organisation (CBO) based in Charlotteville(11° 19' 0" N, 60° 33' 0" W) that aspires to protect the natural environment of the sea turtles in the North of Tobago.NEST’s mission is to monitor and protect the sea turtles; whilst at the same time striving to encourage the ecological and economic wealth that the turtles bring to the local community.

The group was formed in 2004 by Ms Patricia Turpin, Ms Heather Pepe, Ms Kitty Pepe and supported in its formation by founding members of Save Our Sea Turtles (SOS) Tobago Mr GervaisAlkins and Ms Tanya Clovis. It was officially registered with the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs in Tobago in 2008. Following formation NEST’s primary focus was to patrol Chatlotteville’s beaches in order to monitor and protect the nesting sea-turtles. However activities were tragically halted the following year due to Ms Kitty Pepe’s untimely absence; and subsequently the beaches were left un-monitored for some time.

In 2007 Ms Heather Pepe gathered support from SOS Tobago to recommence the Charlotteville monitoring program:Seventeen students from Edinburgh’s Napier University, Scotland were allocated to NEST and thus for two months the three beaches in Charlotteville were monitored under the coordination of SOS Tobago founding member Mr GervaisAlkins and Mr Grant Walker, (graduate of both Edinburgh Napier University and Glasgow University) the leader of this inaugural student expedition.The project proved successful on many fronts: not only were numerous sea-turtles tagged in this region for the first time, the group were able to determine what beaches were of high priority and how to successfully conduct beach patrols in the topographically-challenging areas. Most importantly,the Charlotteville community benefited financially from the tourist revenue of the Scottish volunteers and thus appreciation for the sea-turtles, and for the conservation efforts to protect them, began to filter. Though despite these successes the project’s main weakness was the failure to sustainably involve and outreach to the local community; thus when the expedition and coordinators departed a foundation was not in place for NEST to continue or to replicate the season’s activities.

To date a myriad of hindrances – relational, topographic and financial – have prevented Charlotteville’s beaches from receiving frequent and thorough sea-turtle conservation efforts though a core few have consistently ‘checked’ the beaches for nesting activities. Today NEST has core body of five community-based members checking beaches/patrolling, four of which are involved in fishing and one of whom is the current President – Mr Ancil Kent. In addition NEST has an administrative and advisory committee consisting of Mentors: Mr GervaisAlkins, Ms Patricia Turpin, Ms Heather Pepe, and Ms Zoe Mason-Alkins, as well as a growing following on the new Facebook page.