Sea Turtle Conservation around the Disney Vacation Club Neighborhood & Beyond
“Conservation relies on all of us working together,” said Emily Hardin, a Disney Conservation Programs Manager whose passion for conservation led her to magical explorations with Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment team. “We work to grow the sea turtle population, and in doing so, address the impact we have as humans on their survival.”
Biophilic by nature, Emily’s interest in the natural world stemmed from a childhood spent constantly outdoors. For most kids, that alone may have been enough to spark an interest in environmental sciences, zoology or any other elusive science profession. Still, it wasn’t until an impromptu visit to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center that a 17-year-old Emily realized she could turn this passion into a career.
“It opened my eyes to a world of possibilities,” Emily told us of Jekyll Island’s sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility. “I completely fell in love with sea turtle conservation after seeing it in action and hearing the researchers tell the stories of these inspiring creatures and what we can do to ensure that others don’t face similar challenges.”
Inspired by the innovation and collaboration devoted to protecting these turtles, Emily set out to make the same kind of magic. After studying marine science in South Carolina, she furthered her education by gaining real-life experience, conducting research on nesting beaches in North Carolina and Florida, and working at an aquarium rehabilitation and rescue center. Today, she’s part of Disney’s conservation team, protecting the magic of nature in Disney’s backyard and beyond.
When she’s not on-site at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park leading scientific programs and studying years’ worth of collected data, she’s on the front lines collecting information on the nesting sea turtle population near Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. The approach of the warm, summer season finds, not only researchers returning to the shore, but also sea turtles, driven by a deep generational instinct to lay their first eggs where they, themselves, were born.
Celebrating 21 magical years of sea turtle conservation efforts at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Disney’s Conservation team records more than 1,000 unique sea turtle nests every summer. And in 2023, Disney Conservation saw record-smashing nesting numbers from loggerhead and green sea turtles. Though it is tricky to identify whether this is a sign of recovery, it’s certainly a stride in a positive direction and a testament to the team’s mindful commitment.
But the work isn’t done, especially when comparing 20 years of data to a seat turtle’s average 50- to 100-year lifespan and recognizing that only an estimated one in 1,000 sea turtles will survive in adulthood, according to the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
Emily shared that all species of sea turtles are either threatened or endangered, and humans are among the contributors driving them to extinction.
“Nothing we do as researchers is going to make as lasting of an impact unless we do our part to share the importance of conservation with others,” she said, emphasizing the importance of unity in protecting biodiversity.
To mitigate such obstacles like artificial lighting, habitat loss, plastic pollution and so much more, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort not only hosts the 2025 Tour de Turtles (a conservation-driven event on the last Saturday of each July that tracks sea turtles’ migration across the “big, blue world”), but also organizes shell-tactular “turtle talk” activities for resort guests. During nesting season (from mid-April through October), you can hang loose on the beach with sea turtle specialists as they collect data, and if you’re lucky, even find flipper strokes in the sand (or if you’re really lucky, catch up with our friend Emily).
“There’s magic in seeing a guest’s eyes light up when they hear something about conservation that really excites them,” she said. “By sharing my knowledge, I’m paying it forward to the next generation of conservationists that’ll change the world. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of the job.”
Not visiting during nesting season? That’s turtle-y fine. Disney’s Vero Beach Resort “keeps swimming” with conservation activities all year, from sea turtle-inspired arts and crafts to opportunities to support and learn more about the Disney Conservation Fund.
You’ll also find numerous nods to turtles throughout the resort, from public spaces to the recently refreshed Disney Vacation Club villas.
Visit DisneyAnimals.com to learn more about sea turtles and how Disney is helping to protect them.
