059 / Watu Weri, Lembor Selatan, East Nusa Tenggara
Mrs. Amber Clifton, a US national, works as Project Manager at Pante Hera Turtle Conservation set up by Wicked Adventures, an ethical tour operator based in Flores. Despite the fact that the location is part of Savu Sea National Marine Conservation Area, the villagers had no knowledge that sea turtles were endangered, thus protected.
The Eco-Education Center is placed in one of the guesthouses run by the company, where the villagers can come to read or borrow books every day. A percentage of profit from their entire operation is used for their community projects, one of them educating the villagers to stop illegal hunting and poaching of the turtles and their eggs.
Mrs. Clifton, assisted by some local diving master trainees – and sometimes volunteering guests – provides English and marine conservation classes to the villagers (adults and children), with the average attendance of 20 students per class.
The funding of this Eco-Education Center is made possible by the donors of green-books.org’s crowdfunding campaign at startsomegood.com.