 UPDATE: Thank you for your generous donations! We met our goal, and are proceeding with the project. Stay tuned for updates. Meet Phact, a juvenile Kemp's ridley turtle that stranded due to cold stunning. We don't know what happened to cause Phact's injuries, and she can't tell us. What we can do, with your help, is provide the best possible care to this beautiful young turtle so she can recover and one day be released back to the wild. When Phact and 19 other cold stunned turtles arrived, we examined them, took weights and photographs, and gave them a swim test. Despite the injury to her face, Phact passed with flying colors! We housed Phact in a rectangular tub half full of water for the night. Currently, that tub is our only option for Phact and other small turtles since we don't have enough pools on permanent filtration to accommodate the number of turtles in need. Rest assured that we clean these tubs at least three times a day, and also offer regular therapy swims in larger pools. Then, when space opens up in our Turtle Bay, we move the turtles to larger and deeper water on the main filtration system.  Now, we are planning to install new tanks with permanent filtration in our Sea Turtle Sick Bay. These 18-foot long, 3-foot deep rectangular tanks can be subdivided to accommodate more turtles during busy seasons. Then, dividers can be removed to offer more space for larger turtles and when it's less busy. Each tank will have it's individual filtration system to keep the water clean and flowing. These new tanks and filters will greatly increase pool options for our recovering sea turtle patients.
Thanks to a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and matching donations from the DSCW Kennedy Foundation and Sunset Beach Sea Turtle Watch, we have raised 89% of project costs. Now, we need you - Phact and future cold stunned turtles need you - to help raise the remaining 11%. That's just $12,521! This #GivingTuesday, please consider a donation to allow us to complete the project. Your gift of $25, $50, or $100 will allow us to improve Sea Turtle Sick Bay by adding permanent tanks and filtration systems. On behalf of the turtles, thank you. UPDATE: We met our goal THANK YOU to everyone who donated!
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 There were bikes. There were riders. There were costumes.... There were turtles. There were skeletons. There was a turtle riding tandem with a skeleton! Best of all, there were 150 riders, their families and supporters, event committee members, volunteers, and sponsors who came together to help and celebrate turtles. This annual event started four years ago with an idea among a group of riders from the Salty Turtle Cycling Club. The first year involved just a handful of riders. By the second year, they decided to benefit a local nonprofit - KBSTRRC - and the event took off. The 2025 Haunted Hundred was the most successful to date raising $16,500 for KBSTRRC! On behalf of the board, volunteers, staff, and most of all the turtles of the KBSTRRC, THANK YOU!  Photo Credit: City 2 Sea Media A huge thank you and flipper high fives to the event sponsors! When you visit these businesses, please thank them for supporting the Haunted Hundred, the Salty Turtle Cycling Club, and the KBSTRRC. Platinum Sponsors Lighthouse Engineering ProSol Island Real Estate The Daily Grind Salty Turtle Beer Company Platinum Sponsors Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry Nicole Robinson Photography Salty Turtle Cycling Club  Silver Sponsors Carolina Quick Lube Better Homes and Gardens Treasure Realty Herrings Outdoor Sports Performance Auto Specialists Topsail Surf and Cycle Hidden Ships Distillery Calming Waves Yoga nCino The Frame Game Thurston's Art Gallery 
 Photo credit: Trinity Studios The 4th annual Surf to Sound 5K on September 7th was the most successful to date, raising $16,967 to help save, conserve, and rehabilitate endangered sea turtles! Despite a drizzly day, 711 registrants participated in the event and had fun doing so! Experienced runners joined occasional joggers, walkers, and Ainsley's Angels to celebrate turtles as well as the landscape, businesses, and community that make up Hampstead, Topsail Island, and Surf City.  Photo credit: Trinity Studios Starting in Soundside Park in Surf City, participants headed across the Surf City Bridge and down to Atkinson Point. At the halfway point, participants looped back toward the island, enjoyed one more pass across the Surf City Bridge - tougher on the way back! And then crossed the finish line in Soundside Park - all while taking in the Topsail Sound and views of the Atlantic Ocean for about 3.1 miles. Congratulations to Ryan Hastings, top male runner (17:28.3), and Mackenzie Fullen, top female runner (23:11.7). And flipper high fives to all who ran, walked, jogged, or rolled the course. Click here for all the race results!  Photo credit: Leta Luguri Many thanks to James and Meredith Worsham for organizing a turtle-y awesome race! Over the four years they've organized this race, they've raised $56,246 for the turtles! That's a lotta fish and medicine!
 Photo credit: Trinity Studios Flipper hugs to our generous sponsors! When you visit these fine businesses, please extend your thanks for their support of the turtles and KBSTRRC. Title Sponsors: Carolina Coast Contracting Coastal Carolina Real Estate Jackie & Jeff James Packet Pick-Up Host: Salty Turtle Beer Co. Booth Sponsor: Margherita Pizza Co. The Petting Zoo Finish Line Sponsor: Saltwater Resort & Suites Additional Sponsors: Nautical Bowls Kathy Zagzebski
 We are happy to have 10 interns from the University of North Carolina Wilmington with us this spring! Let's meet them!
My name is Morgan from Red Springs, N.C. I'm a Senior Biology major w/ concentration in Pre-Vet and minor in Anthropology. I've been working as a Veterinary Assistant for 3 years and I volunteer and manage social media for several wildlife organizations. I'm Macy from Charlotte, N.C. I'm currently a senior at UNCW and majoring in marine biology. I chose this internship because I have a deep passion for marine life, so I love having the opportunity to help the sea turtles here! Hey! My name is Madison and I’m from Greensboro, NC! I’m a senior and my major is Marine Biology. I love sea turtles and I want to do something like this as a future job! I've also heard great things about this internship through friends and other UNCW students. I love the beach, sunsets/sunrises, hanging out with friends, and shopping! My name is Luke and I’m a junior at UNCW. I’m from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. I am a Biology major with an interest towards conservation/sustainability. I chose this internship to hopefully gain experience working with endangered species as well as to build connections to further my future in the biology world. Also, turtles are very cool. I’m RJ from Cincinnati OH. I’m a junior at UNCW majoring in Marine Biology. I run a YouTube channel for fishing and fish keeping. I have 1000 gallons of water in my basement back home and love everything aquatic. My name is Andrew. I’m from Maryland and this is my third year at UNCW. I’m majoring in Marine Biology. I love fishing and am part of the UNCW rowing club. My name is Tyler. I am a sophomore at UNCW from Summerfield, North Carolina. I am double majoring in Marine Biology with a concentration in Marine Conservation & International Studies with a concentration in Environment. I chose this internship to get a more medical approach to hands-on experience to further my own conservation work portfolio. I love to surf, chase sunrises & sunsets, and I love to go backpacking. I’m Brianna, a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in Marine Biology from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I have a concentration in Conservation as well as a double minor in Neuroscience and Oceanography. I have always grown up wanting to work with turtles and work in marine mammal rescue, strandings and necropsies. Therefore, I wanted that experience but with a sea turtle hospital, especially since my goal for a future career is to work in marine rehabilitation. I love outdoor adventure activities as well as cooking, reading and writing my own music. Coffee shops are my favorite place to hang out and I love to travel. Hi, my name is Lauren! I am a Marine Bio and Pre-Vet major. I am from Kernersville North Carolina and I plan to become an aquatic animal veterinarian! I love to watch sunsets, go to coffee shops, and spend time with my pets! I have two dogs, a cat, and a fish! After gaining experience working with dogs and cats at a veterinary clinic, I knew that the world of veterinary medics was the place for me! Working at this internship allows me to gain experience for vet school and help care for a species I love and want to help protect! My name is Chrystal. I’m a UNCW senior majoring in Biology, Pre-Vet. I chose this internship because I have done a little of everything with land animals and would like to learn a little about sea creatures. I volunteer with All 4 Cats and Paws 4 Purpose Rescue when I can. I write medical protocols for All 4 Cats and I transport animals for Paws 4 Purpose, as well as trap neuter, vaccinate and return cats in all of Onslow and surrounding areas.  Throughout 2023, we celebrated our 25th anniversary!
After many years of protecting and conserving turtles, first as the mother-daughter team of Jean and Karen Beasley and then as the all-volunteer Topsail Turtle Project, we decided to make it official 25 years ago, in 1998! On June 5, 1998, Jean Beasley filed articles of incorporation with the State of North Carolina to legally establish the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center as a non-profit organization. Named in memory of her daughter, Karen, the "KBSTRRC" would include both the existing Topsail Turtle Project and the new Sea Turtle Hospital. On July 21, 1998, the North Carolina Secretary of State approved KBSTRRC's articles of incorporation and we officially became a legally-recognized, not-for-profit organization! Since our founding, we have protected over 2,627 sea turtle nests, treated over 1,307 sick or injured sea turtles, and educated hundreds of thousands of people about sea turtles and the importance of conserving them. To celebrate, we hosted 25+ activities and events to celebrate 25+ years of conserving and protecting sea turtles. From the Gala to our "Lights Out for Sea Turtles" campaign, we found a lot to celebrate! |
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We are a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization - POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS
EIN: 56-1967579
This conservation work for protected sea turtles at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center and on Topsail Island
is authorized by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, ES Permit 25ST05.
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