Australian-owned Templeberg Villa in Galle and the Sri Lankan-based Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project have teamed up with www.wildlifevolunteercrowdfunding.com, a company based in Perth, Australia, to raise funds to protect Sri Lankan sea turtles this World Turtle Day,  May 23, 2015.

For the second consecutive year, Templeberg Villa and the Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project (the KSTC Project) are turning to crowd funding where individuals from around the world can pledge funds towards Sri Lankan turtle conservation.

Last year, the collaboration raised enough funds to build a new turtle tank. This year, spurred on by the success of the first collaboration, Templeberg Owner, Brent Carey,  and the KSTC Project aim to raise $3000USD to permanently power the Center with a reliable electricity source.

“Crowdfunding is not just for IT and startups. It can also be used to fund environmental projects, and can also help raise awareness of key environmental issues and campaigns such as World Turtle Day,” says Templeberg Villa’s Brent Carey.

“Unfortunately global green causes get less attention and less funding than they often need and deserve.”

“Thankfully crowdfunding is grassroots by nature and through a simple dedicated website and conversations on social media sites like Twitter awareness of efforts to protect the environment can have a global reach,” Carey adds.

The KSTC Project, which commenced in 1988, relies heavily on donations, so it can continue to monitor local sea turtle activity, buy back turtle eggs otherwise headed to local markets and conserve turtles’ local nesting sites.

Dudley Perera, founder of the KSTC Project and a Tsunami survivor, spoke of the project’s success and said, “Since 1988, the project has released 10,000 turtles into their natural environment.”

To give your spare change to Sri Lanka’s Sea Turtles and sponsor the KSTC Project for World Turtle Day visit www.wildlifevolunteercrowdfunding.com.