Our Ocean Conservation Legacy

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 ocean 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 ocean conservation efforts, or find inspiration on how you can help the environment.