CEA Newsletter – April/May 2008 CEA Newsletters are in English and Spanish. Para leer este boletín en español, haz clic aquí.
Home Page Conservation Programs Calendar	Turtle Season Is Here We are in turtle nesting season and we are pleased to inform you that we have nests already in Playa Tortugas (Jade Beach), South Akumal and Half Moon Bay. As of May 19 we are happy to announce we have 12 nests. While that's good news about the nests, results are still pending on the cause of the baby turtles washing up sick and/or dying recently. We'll report definitive information about this when we can. You can always Adopt a Turtle Baby, Nest or Family for yourself, or as a gift, for any occasion. For example, May 23 is World Turtle Day. We thank all those who adopted for Mother's Day gifts. Don't forget Dad—Father's Day is June 15! The U.S. tax-deductible donation includes a personalized Adoption Certificate, in whoever's name you want, and turtle photo cards, all mailed from the States, so they don't take very long to arrive. Proceeds help fund CEA's turtle protection program.
	What You Can Do Help us to protect them: Change the lights facing the beach areas to amber or red-colored bulbs; otherwise modify their direction so they light the inside of the property. Lights disorient the turtles. If, for some reason, you have to walk on the beach at night, use amber or red light on your flashlight, illuminating your path only. Do not leave objects (beach chairs, floats, kayaks, etc.) on the beach as they may obstruct the path of turtles climbing up to lay their eggs. Do not make excessive noise at night from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. during nesting season (May through October). Noise frightens the turtles. If you see a turtle arriving, making a nest or laying their eggs, do not approach her, shine a light on her, or take pictures with a flash. Please notify CEA staff of your observations. When you visit the beaches, please pick up the garbage even if it is not yours. Help us to keep the beaches clean.
	Earth Day CEA and the Eco-Bahía Foundation held two days of events to commemorate this very important day. Conferences were conducted for universities where specialists and staff of CEA held talks on global environmental issues. Likewise activities were carried out on the beaches, Akumal Pueblo and schools. Those were two days of hard, satisfying work raising people's awareness. We hope this work is beneficial for every day. Special thanks to all the shops and hotels in Akumal who supported us and joined our efforts. Akumal belongs to everyone.
	Model of Akumal Bay After six weeks of hard work, CEA now boasts a 3-dimensional representation of Akumal Bay, from the beach to the open sea, of up to 20 meters depth. The idea mainly was inspired by the Coral Reef Presentation held every Thursday at the CEA Center, which shows the different levels of coral formations in the bay. From the top view, you can see the beach stretching to the lagoon where the turtles like to hang out and feed on the seagrasses, to the reef crests where waves break, and then on to the first coral formations in a finger-like manner at 10 meters deep, and another at 20 meters deep. On the side, you can see the underground water flowing from the land to the open sea. On the display board, you can learn about the different species that you will find in the bay at different points. Working on the model was a great experience for us. As volunteers in the reef program, we were able to put into use what we have learned about the different coral and fish species. Thanks to the research dives, we were able to re-create a realistic representation of the bay beyond the reef crests. Furthermore, we are amazed at the amount of materials we could recycle to build the model just by exploring the storerooms and the backyard. All we spent funds for were two wheels, a bit of craft paper and some flour to make the glue. Finally, it was nice to have different people helping us out at various stages, especially our artist-cum-accountant Carlos Gómez, who stayed weekends to help.
	Sun, Sand and Sea Coral reefs, mangroves and beaches are under pressure from land-based activities including coastal development and tourism. To ensure that we can always enjoy wonderful vacations on the Mexican Caribbean coast, please follow these good practices: In your hotel or condominium, reduce the use of water and electricity. Use biodegradable products and sunblocks. Please avoid touching or standing on the corals. Avoid removing anything alive or dead from the marine and coastal ecosystem. Do not disturb or feed any creatures in the area. Help us to keep the beaches clean. Decomposition time: Cigarette butts – 2 years Plastic glass – 1,000 years Styrofoam® – 100 years Cans – 10 years Bottle caps – 30 years Glass bottles – 4,000 years Plastic bags – 150 years Plastic bottles – 100 to 1,000 years Paper – 4 months to 2 years Batteries – 1,000 years
	Global Works Helps Park We appreciate the support that Global Works offered to CEA last March. Those guys did an excellent job in cleaning streets and waste management, as well as planting trees in Yal-Ku Park. Thank you and we'll see you soon!
	Donate a Book to the New School Library April 29 was the opening of the Frida Kahlo Library in the Akumal school, Telesecundaria José Vasconcelos. In the presence of governmental authorities, teachers, and donors such as Ms. Laura Bush and Paul Sánchez-Navarro (representing CEA), Leticia Cordova opened the doors of this wonderful space for books. For more information and to donate a book, please contact Alma.
	Keystone: Solar-powered Heaters We at CEA are grateful for the donation of solar-powered heaters and recommend their use. What are you waiting for to take care of the environment? Install yours now! Click to find out more information about Sunrain Solar Energy heaters or to send a message.
	Tell a Friend Please continue to tell your friends about CEA! Many CEA Members join after being referred to CEA by people like you. If you have questions about how you can become more involved, please contact us. The Yucatan Environmental Foundation is the U.S. 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor for CEA. All donations made through YEF for CEA are tax deductible in the U.S. If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or simply need to contact CEA, please click here.