CRP welcomes everyone older than 15 years old to participate on their own. Because the CRP Experience is rigorous and the conditions are rustic, we have set a minimum age to ensure the physical and emotional independence and maturity of all volunteers. People 14 years old may participate if they are accompanied by a parent/guardian and people 13 years old may participate if their family reserves all volunteer slots on their week.
The fee not only covers the cost of food and housing during each week of the summer, as well as a weeks worth of life-changing sea turtle adventures, but it goes directly to support research and protection efforts that reduce threats to sea turtle survival both on Wassaw Island and across the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Unlike larger organizations, CRP has very low administrative costs, which allows more of your contribution to be directly applied to conservation.
The parent organization of CRP, the Savannah Science Museum, Inc., is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization. Since this is a volunteer work project and not a recreational opportunity, a portion of your Participation Fee and any out-of-pocket expenses directly related to your participation (airline tickets, overnight lodging immediately before or after your week) may be tax deductible.
Check with your tax consultant or accountant for confirmation.
Each week of the sea turtle season (Sat-Sat; May-August) has 6 spaces for participants, which are reserved and filled on first-call, first-pay basis. There will be an early registration period from December 11-20, in which Participation Fees will be $1,075. We will not be accepting any reservations between December 20 - January 1. Regular registration ($925) will open on the first business day of the year (Tuesday, 2 Jan 2024).
The first step is deciding which available week you would like to participate, along with 2 alternative weeks. Click here to check dates and availability for weeks in 2024.
Reservations open at 8 am ET. Messages left before then will be considered after the 8 am rush.
Call 912-704-9323.
Leave your name, number, how many spots you are requesting, and at least 3 choices of weeks.
Then send an e-mail to WassawCRP@aol.com with the same information.
We will call or e-mail you with a confirmation of your weeks (please do not pay online or send checks or forms before you are confirmed).
Because spaces are limited and often fill quickly, you can check which weeks still have spaces open as the registration progresses. Reservations made by phone will be held up to 14 days for receipt of payment (either by mail or online; see below). After 14 days, if payment has not been received, reservations will be cancelled and reopened to other potential participants.
Payments can be mailed to Caretta Research Project, PO Box 9841, Savannah, GA 31412
Online payments (+credit card processing fee=$1,115 early registration, $960 regular registration) can also be made on the Shop & Donate page.
All participants are required to download, fill-out and sign an Application and Waiver.
All participants under 18 are also required to sign the Young Biologist Agreement.
Forms can be mailed to the address above, or printed/scanned or filled out electronically, then emailed to WassawCRP@aol.com
Due to the logistics associated with transportation to and from the island, CRP only offers 7-day, Saturday-to-Saturday reservations. If absolutely necessary, CRP can arrange non-Saturday transportation on or off the island at a cost of $100/trip. Long weekends are precluded because this would entail two non-Saturday boat trips and would overlap two different groups of volunteers. CRP strongly encourages participants to commit a full week to the CRP Experience, thereby maximizing opportunities to witness the natural wonders of Wassaw Island and its sea turtles.
Please contact us by email with any further questions, WassawCRP@aol.com
