The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife has been awarded a grant of more than $20,000 from 100+ Women Who Care Sanibel-Captiva to support its regional sea turtle rehabilitation efforts.
The funding will help enhance capabilities at CROW’s new Harkey Sea Turtle Complex, strengthening the organization’s ability to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate injured and threatened sea turtles across South Florida.
“As we open our new Harkey Sea Turtle Complex on Sanibel, this grant significantly enhances our capacity to advance marine wildlife medicine across South Florida,” says Dr. Jessica Comolli, CROW’s Research and Medical Director. “The integration of endoscopy into our diagnostic and treatment capabilities will enable minimally invasive internal evaluation of sea turtles, facilitating earlier detection and more precise management of life-threatening conditions such as ingested fishing line and other internal injuries. This advanced technology will improve clinical outcomes and strengthen our ability to successfully rehabilitate and return these threatened animals to the wild.”
Women Who Care is powered by Charitable Foundation of the Islands. CFI board member Jane Majeski and “Wave Maker” Pam Browning said the donation of $10,000 grew after the March meeting to more than $20,000.
“We are thrilled to see the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife receive this support as they reopen and rebuild following Hurricane Ian,” says Dolly Farrell, Executive Director of CFI. “This investment in their new sea turtle complex will have a lasting impact on our coastal ecosystem. With 175 members now engaged with the 100+ Women Who Care Sanibel Captiva giving circle, this truly reflects the power of collective action and generosity in our community.”
The new Harkey Sea Turtle Complex replaces CROW’s original sea turtle rehabilitation center that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. This state-of-the-art facility serves as the only sea turtle rehabilitation facility between Sarasota and the Florida Keys.