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i Application Please email back to rmott(o)inwater.org no later than June 24th, 5pm I Organization Name Indian River Sea Turtle Program (IRC Habitat Conservation Plan) Address 1801 27th Street, Vero Beach 32960 Cope - HCP Coordinator Kendra Co Contact Name P i Contact Phone 772-538-0616 Contact Email kcope@ircgov.com Organization's mission: Our HCP is specific to improving nesting habitat for sea turtles. "When fully implemented the HCP will increase productivity of the County's beaches". Staff have decided one of the most important ways of accomplishing this goal is through education of public young and old. Number of education staff 1 staff (myself) and up to 15 volunteers School'district(s) you plan to reach with this program: Indian River County public and private schools 1. Why do you believe this program will benefit both your organization and your surrounding schools? Indian River County(IRC)is located in the middle of the most productive loggerhead nesting beach area in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere. All residents of IRC live only up to 15 minutes from a beach no matter where their home may be, yet many to not know any of the ecological treasures this place has to offer. Our beaches are beginning to be over developed, surrounded by lights and buried in trash. The county has eight title one schools and during their 3rd and 4th grade years students form these schools and others make visits to the Environmental Learning Center to discover the IR Lagoon, but nothing is planned for 5th grade students to help expand their coastal education. Before the 15/16 school year only 2 schools openly reported adding sea turtle information in their curriculum, organized beach clean ups or made other conservation efforts with their 5th grade students. Everyone knows that children are some of the most influential people in the world and still have passion and a drive to make their surrounding area better. If 5th graders were offered a hands on opportunity to learn more about their coastal environment and the keystone species that utilize it, like sea turtles, then they would be the ones with the energy to improve conservation efforts for the future. One of the ways the county began making efforts to biologically improve their coastline is though the implementation of the Habitat Conservation Plan, specifically designed to improve nesting habitat for sea turtles. The HCP was implemented in 2005 and in 2015 the HCP coordinator expanded the management program to include education and public outreach using multiple venues. If accepted for the traveling trunk program the county will be able to enhance its education program which is full of volunteers eager to help inform the public of the human impacts sea turtle face and ways they can get involved in local conservation.