Relocating to Bellevue from a small country town in Australia at the age of 14, I was amazed by the philanthropic spirit of the Eastside community. I witnessed the generosity of people donating their time, resources, and energy to causes greater than themselves. What struck me most was the dedication of fellow Bellevue teens volunteering with charities and NGOs - something I hadn’t seen growing up.

Recently I graduated with an MA in Social Anthropology, and through my studies of culture, I’ve come to recognize how exceptional Bellevue truly is. Its emphasis on giving back, on community support, and on social responsibility sets it apart - and it’s a cultural value I’ve embraced wholeheartedly! Since March 2025, I’ve been volunteering as a research assistant with Latin American Sea Turtles (LAST), an NGO in Costa Rica devoted to the monitoring and conservation of sea turtles. I’m currently based at their remote Pacuare station, accessible only by boat, on a peninsula along the Caribbean coast. This region holds one of the most important nesting grounds for Leatherback turtles in the Caribbean.

I’ve worked with sea turtles in both Australia and Greece, but the work I’m doing with LAST feels the most vital. These ancient creatures - who’ve been nesting on our beaches for over 150 million years - are now deeply threatened, particularly by the illegal poaching of their eggs, and by hunting for meat and shells. Without the daily work of LAST and its volunteers, 100% of the nests on our beach would be destroyed, and 100% of eggs would be taken for human consumption or sale on the black market under the false belief they are an aphrodisiac, with some turtle species also killed for their meat.

To combat these threats we conduct nightly patrols during nesting season, working with nesting mothers to collect data and relocating their eggs to the safety of our protected hatchery so the embryos may develop into healthy hatchlings that are then later released into the sea. There is nothing more magical and meaningful than seeing your hard work pay off as you watch hundreds of baby turtles cross the sand and enter into the sea.

Conservation doesn’t happen in isolation. LAST works hand-in-hand with the local community, providing jobs for the locals - including former poachers - who bring invaluable generational knowledge to the team. By offering sustainable, turtle-friendly livelihoods, we’re helping shift the economic incentive from exploitation to protection.

What sets LAST apart from many conservation programs is its authenticity. This isn’t packaged, curated eco-volunteering. Here, you’re immersed in grassroots work, face-to-face with real challenges, and welcomed into the rhythms of the community. The impact is personal, powerful, and clear. If LAST were a person, I would describe them as the quiet achiever - the one who rolls up their sleeves and gets the job done without seeking recognition. It’s the scientific backbone of the region’s conservation efforts, guided by a deep commitment to protecting sea turtles. The focus is on meaningful, lasting impact - not appearances or accolades, just the work that matters.

As a member of the Bellevue community, I hope to use my voice and platform to highlight the lifechanging, species-saving work of this organization. I’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to help fund critical patrols and expand volunteer outreach. Volunteers and donations are the lifeblood of our work. If you’re searching for a way to protect the future of our planet’s coastal environments, to dive into meaningful, hands-on fieldwork, or to step into an experience both humbling and transformative - I encourage you to get involved. This is conservation grounded in reality: gritty, immersive, and deeply intertwined with the rhythms of resilient communities who share this fragile coastline.

There’s a place for you here, and your support is vital - whether you’re on the beach helping directly or supporting from afar. Few experiences compare to the profound reward of working alongside some of the most remarkable creatures on earth - turtles who have endured for millions of years, and whose survival now depends on our care. Together, we can help ensure their legacy continues for generations to come.