Several conservation groups and volunteers stepped forward over the weekend to protect vital nesting grounds at Las Cuevas Beach, helping to ensure the area remains a safe haven for hundreds of turtles that flock to the coastline.

President of the Las Cuevas Eco-Friendly Association, Arlene Williams, spoke about their efforts, which included clearing pathways for turtles and collecting garbage to ensure a safer nesting environment.

“Right to the back of me, persons actually created a fire yesterday, and here we have plenty turtle nests here so we’re making sure that everything is moved so that if people come to light a fire, they would have to bring things in order to start that fire, and we could say for sure that it wasn’t there, so you all came with the intention to start that fire there.”