Turtle Island Restoration Network

10/05/2026

October is !

Everyone looks up at a redwood. The surprising part is down 👇🌱

The tallest trees on Earth stand on roots only 6 to 12 feet deep. They stay upright by spreading wide and weaving together with their neighbors' roots.

That grip holds up a lot: old-growth redwood forests store more carbon above ground per hectare than any other forest on Earth, most of it locked in those enormous trunks for centuries.

It's why our seedlings spend three years in the nursery building strong roots before we plant them. Slow start, long climate payoff 🌿

Help us grow 10,000: https://seaturtles.org/10000-redwoods/

📸: Lucas Cometto, Protection And Watershed Network - SPAWN

10/02/2026

🦦 Could sea otters return to Point Reyes?

Join us Wednesday, October 7 at 4pm PT / 6pm CT for the second webinar in our Point Reyes series: Reintroduction of Sea Otters.

Otters are a keystone species, and their presence helps the whole ecosystem thrive. Come learn why Dr. Lanman recommends Drakes Estero as the first stepping stone for rewilding Point Reyes National Seashore.

Free to attend. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jej8GpQdS5WwPrOoE5d-nQ

More in the series (all 4-5pm PT):
🐻 Oct 15: The Return of the Black Bear
📷 Oct 22: The Power of Photography in Conservation
🌿 Nov 5: Native and Invasive Plants at Point Reyes

We hope to see you there!

10/01/2026

We need to keep restrictions to longline fishing in place!🐢

Humpback whales and calves breaching and spouting are delighting beachgoers, hikers and boaters all along the Sonoma and Marin coasts. This time of year is also when Pacific leatherback sea turtles journey from across the Pacific Ocean to feed on jellyfish. The giant is the state's official marine reptile, celebrated Oct. 15 as Pacific Leatherback Day. But these magnificent sea animals along with other ocean wildlife are under new threats from a long banned commercial fishery targeting swordfish.

Longline fishing near here was banned specifically to protect leatherbacks, whales and other marine life harmed by these fishing vessels using longline rigs that catch anything swimming by.

Now the Trump administration is letting them back in. The swordfish caught by the deadly longlines — a fish that is high in toxic mercury — will then show up at our restaurants and markets as a "sustainable" choice. To halt this action, the Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit.

California has made hard-won progress in moving away from destructive fishing. Reopening the longline fishery would take us backward. There is no scientific or moral justification for doing so.

The courts stopped this reckless scheme once before. They must stop it again.

— Todd Steiner, Forest Knolls

Read more: https://www.marinij.com/2026/09/29/marin-ij-readers-forum-keep-restrictions-to-longline-fishing-industry-in-place/

📸: Phillip Miller




Center for Biological Diversity

09/29/2026

Fun Fact: Most sea turtles nest at night, but Kemp’s ridleys do things differently. They’re the only sea turtles that routinely nest in broad daylight, sometimes coming ashore in groups called arribadas🐢

Want to follow nesting along the Texas coast? Our Texas Coast Sea Turtle Nest Count page tracks confirmed nests by species and location, from Galveston Island to Boca Chica Beach. Check in to see where Kemp’s ridley, green and loggerhead turtles have nested this season: https://seaturtles.org/turtle-count-texas-coast/

If you spot a sea turtle, tracks or hatchlings on a Texas beach, call 1-866-TURTLE-5 right away.

📸: Fabrizio Ferrari

09/28/2026

"We're concerned about leakage from these oil rigs. Habitats are going to be destroyed. There's going to be marine life and terrestrial life, endangered and threatened species that are killed."

The Interior Department plans to scrap the current offshore leasing plan and open even more federal waters to oil and gas drilling. It's happening while protections under the Endangered Species Act are being rolled back.

In this article, our Ocean Program Director, Joanie Steinhaus, explains that the environmental review normally required before drilling is being skipped.

Kemp's ridley sea turtles, Rice's whales, coastal communities, and the Gulf economy all depend on a healthy Gulf. Read more 👇

https://app.publicnewsservice.org/?forceRedirect=story/conservationists-concerned-about-texas-coast-increases-in-drilling-1/48a59e34-4b93-43b5-bd45-0318b7119807?

As the Trump administration continues to make changes to the Endangered Species Act, conservationists along the Texas Gulf Coast are concerned about the sea life...

09/24/2026

When you protect one species, you protect the whole system around it. Sea otters are proof.

It's Week, and this year's theme is Rooted in Resilience. Sea otters are a keystone species: they eat sea urchins, and without them, urchins overgraze kelp until a thriving forest becomes a barren. With otters around, kelp forests and eelgrass beds stay healthy, giving countless species a home, buffering our coastlines, and storing carbon.

How much carbon? Researchers estimate coastal areas with sea otters can store 4.4 to 8.7 million more tonnes of carbon than the same areas without them. That's more than a million cars' worth of emissions in a year.

That connection between species and ecosystem is at the heart of our work at Turtle Island Restoration Network. We're proud to recognize Sea Otter Awareness Week alongside Defenders of Wildlife Elakha Alliance Monterey Bay Aquarium The Marine Mammal Center

📸: Yiran Ding, Joe Tomoleoni, Gretchen Kay Stuart, Lei Liu, N. Nehring

09/23/2026

History was made on a Southern California beach! This week, an olive ridley sea turtle crawled up on Huntington Beach and became the first sea turtle ever recorded nesting on the US West Coast 🐢

Our founder, ecologist Todd Steiner, has studied sea turtles for decades. He says this year's strong El Niño is likely bringing species from farther south into Southern California waters.

But is it all good news? In a new blog post, Todd explains what might be driving these sightings, including the role of climate change. He also shares the history of rare olive ridley encounters in California, including one documented by our own staff in Marin County!

Read the full story: https://seaturtles.org/sea-turtle-on-southern-california-beach-becomes-first-ever-to-nest-on-us-west-coast/

If you see a sea turtle in California, call the NOAA West Coast Stranding Hotline at (562)-506-4315.

Sea Turtle on Southern California Beach Becomes First Ever to Nest on US West Coast This week, an olive ridley crawled up on Huntington Beach in Southern California, becoming the first-ever sea turtle to nest in California. The breathtaking news is making waves, with articles appearing across th ...

09/07/2026

You are hereby invited to a free webinar about Point Reyes National Seashore.

Thursday September 17 at 4:00PM Pacific time.

Whether you know Point Reyes, have visited or are planning a visit, or have never heard of it, you'll be informed about and intrigued by this spectacular and precious place.

Even if you know all about our oceans work, come and learn about the wonderful restoration opportunities right in our headquarter's backyard, in West Marin County, just north of San Francisco.

Spend an hour learning about the only national seashore on the West coast. This webinar will cover Point Reyes history, wildlife, and planning your trip to Point Reyes.

This webinar is the first in a new series about Point Reyes, and we will also preview later editions, so you can hear what’s coming next — don’t miss out!

Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aLzU7JEpRii7JvpiEGNNew #/registration

Any questions, please email [email protected].

09/05/2026

A new important victory to keep sea turtles safe from drowning in shrimp nets, building on its TIRN's 35 year history to reform fisheries on behalf of marine wildlife!

For Immediate Release, September 1, 2026 Contacts: Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director, [email protected] Elise Bennett, Florida & Caribbean Director, Center for Biological Diversity, [email protected], 727-755-6950 Ella Stern, Communications Specialist, Defenders of ...

09/01/2026

Help Save Newts: Call for Volunteers! The Chileno Valley Newt Brigade is gearing up to rescue the thousands of newts, frogs and other creatures as they migrate across a dangerous road.

Can you help? The training will be held on Sept. 26th, 10 a.m. at Chileno Valley Ranch, 5105 Chileno Valley Road in Petaluma.

What: Wearing a reflective vest, you’ll use a flashlight and bucket to carry animals across the road. You’ll also keep count using iNaturalist, collecting data that reveals population trends.

When: You'll join a team that goes out once a week between mid-October and mid-March.

Where: Chileno Valley Road next to Laguna Lake, west of Petaluma.

www.chilenovalleynewtbrigade.org and fill out the volunteer form. Sally Gale will respond promptly 💚