Abstract
Sea Turtle Adventures is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission of conserving local populations of sea turtles, educating the local community about the marine environment, and providing nature-based programs to adults with disabilities. They are responsible for monitoring three miles of beach in southern Palm Beach County and providing a variety of marine-focused educational events for the public and adults with disabilities. For this project we created an experiential learning program, Junior Marine Biologist, to improve accessibility and inclusion of marine conservation education for adults with disabilities. This program consisted of a weekly lesson and assisting a permitted member in a sea turtle nest excavation in accordance with MTP 098, among other activities. The program was originally designed to focus exclusively on sea turtles and their conservation, but due to popular demand, it was adapted to include broader topics and ecosystems in marine conservation. Through this program we found that not only did the participants grow in their personal understanding of marine conservation, but there was knowledge transfer between participants and their families stating that most families discuss what they learned at least 3-4 times a week. This project demonstrates the importance of and need for more environmental education opportunities for adults with disabilities, and increased consideration of individuals with disabilities and their families by environmental organizations when designing facilities and programming.