Our Ocean Conservation Legacy
Our Legacy
OCEAN CONSERVATION
Earth Legacy Foundation began on a tiny island.
Over a decade ago, on a remote island in Mozambique’s Primeiras e Segundas Environmental Protection Area, Africa’s largest coastal marine reserve, our team witnessed the devastating impact of unchecked poaching. Critically endangered hawksbill and endangered green turtles were being slaughtered, their nesting grounds ravaged. What was once envisioned as a luxury resort quickly became something far greater: a mission to protect the ocean and empower the communities who live alongside it.
That island lit the spark. Today, Earth Legacy Foundation is a registered NPO (2025/532019/08) dedicated to marine conservation, environmental education, and community upliftment across Southern Africa’s coastline.
From turtle rescues to plastic pollution cleanups, biodiversity research to grassroots education, our work is deeply rooted in action. We collaborate with conservation partners, citizen scientists, and coastal communities to restore balance to fragile marine ecosystems, and to ensure those protecting them are supported, trained, and inspired.
What started as a single response to an urgent need has grown into a movement for long-term, people-powered change. Because we believe the legacy we leave should be a thriving ocean, and a generation ready to defend it.
Our Legacy
ABOUT ILHA DO FOGO
Earth Legacy Foundation; a crusade that started with a tiny island in the Indian Ocean. An island that was destined to become a luxury resort, inspired the vision to foster conservation in the communities, and beyond. Ilha do Fogo is a breathtaking, remote island, within Primeiras e Segundas Environmental Protection Area, in Mozambique. This EPA is Africa’s largest coastal marine reserve, and home to incredibly diverse fauna and flora, including endangered turtles.
When Ilha do Fogo was purchased over a decade ago, the team discovered that it was ravaged by poachers, and sadly, the critically endangered hawksbill and endangered green turtles were the main victims of the poaching. The dream to build a resort was quickly replaced by a desire to protect these imperilled species, and Earth Legacy Foundation was born.
The island is an essential turtle nesting site, and we founded a turtle monitoring program, to help ensure their nesting process is unimpeded. The project aims to empower locals with the knowledge to understand the conservation issues, and the skills to carry out the monitoring and tagging of these animals. This is one of many projects we are working on to empower local communities, while providing an alternative income opportunity to poaching.
Now, our focus has grown far beyond Ilha do Fogo and sea turtles. We partner with a variety of organisations to collaborate on community and conservation efforts across Southern Africa. These include educational workshops, plastic pollution events, biodiversity studies, and women’s empowerment.
Check out our campaigns page and find out more about our conservation efforts, or find inspiration on how you can help the environment.
What we offer
Community Projects
Community Projects
We work alongside communities to drive sustainable change through education, conservation, and income-generating opportunities that build resilience and unlock local potential.
Community Projects
Ecotourism
Unfound’s accommodations are located in beautiful, nature-abundant areas. All properties make a conscious effort for sustainable tourism and donate a portion of profits to our NPO.
Community Projects
Saving Sea Turtles
Turtles face numerous threats and only one in a thousand turtle hatchlings survive to adulthood to start the nesting process. This is where vital turtle conservation projects come in.