Outer Banks Forever announces the 2024 opening of annual ‘Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest’ Program

May 2, 2024 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle hatchlings emerged from a nest south of Ramp 55 on Hatteras Island. NPS photo.

Outer Banks Forever, the official nonprofit partner of the Outer Banks national parks, has opened its annual Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program for the sea turtle nesting season at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, which occurs from May to October each year.

The Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program launched in 2020 to support projects and programs that protect and enhance the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and the program has raised $73,313 in the years since.

Photo by Jolanta Lorenc of Canaan, Connecticut, of a sea turtle nest hatching in Frisco

“Our Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest program is a fun way for people to learn more about these special island visitors and the work our national park staff does every day to help protect them,” said Jessica Barnes, Director of Outer Banks Forever, in an earlier interview.

“It’s also fun for us to send updates to each person who adopts a nest, particularly sharing the number of sea turtle hatchlings that make their way out of each nest. It’s a great way to feel connected to these amazing creatures while also supporting Cape Hatteras National Seashore.”

Through the Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program, you can symbolically adopt an active sea turtle nest at Cape Hatteras National Seashore and receive an official adoption certificate by mail and information about your specific nest when it hatches later this summer or fall.

Here is how the program works:

Donate: Give a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to adopt your 2024 sea turtle nest. You will receive a confirmation email for your donation.
Receive your nest assignment: Sea turtles typically start to arrive in May and June and will continue to arrive until late August. As nests arrive and are available, you will be assigned your sea turtle nest and receive an adoption certificate by mail with initial information about your nest.
Wait patiently for your nest to hatch! When your nest hatches later this summer or fall, you will receive a personalized update in the mail with information park rangers collect about your nest, including the number of hatchlings that made their way out to sea.

A note about honorary/memorial gifts: If you choose to adopt a nest in honor or in memory of a loved one and provide an honoree’s mailing address on your donation form, a letter with nest information and a certificate will be mailed directly to your honoree. Your honoree will be notified of your gift and will receive a certificate when their nest is assigned, not at the time you make the gift. Please keep this in mind if your gift is time-sensitive.

There are a limited number of nests each year and they are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so you are encouraged to adopt your nest early. For more information on Outer Banks Forever’s Adopt A Sea Turtle nest program, please review the program’s Frequently Asked Questions.

Please note: No individual or group that participates in this program can claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, eggs, or hatchlings. Nature is also unpredictable. If your adopted nest is lost to a weather event or damaged by some other means, we will assign you a new nest that may or may not be shared with another individual or group. For the safety of the sea turtles and in alignment with National Park Service guidance, your nest’s exact location will not be shared until after it has hatched.