{"id":5837,"date":"2026-05-12T16:29:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?p=5837"},"modified":"2026-05-12T16:30:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:30:32","slug":"turtles-trash-and-the-power-of-responsible-travel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/turtles-trash-and-the-power-of-responsible-travel\/","title":{"rendered":"Turtles, Trash, and\u202fthe Power of Responsible Travel\u202f\u202f\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Turtles, Trash, and\u202fthe Power of\u202fResponsible Travel\u202f<\/strong>\u202f\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Melissa Snape<\/em>\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two young men crouch over a blue bucket, kneeling in the sand on a beach in Kilifi, Kenya. The sun is\u202fsetting behind them, and the air\u202fis hazy with\u202fmist rolling in\u202fon\u202fthe tide. They look inside the bucket and smile at one another.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bucket is full of sea turtle eggs.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salim and Baraka are Turtle Rangers with Ocean Sole, and those eggs are about to be carefully\u202frelocated\u202fto a safer nesting area protected from predators, rising tides, and poachers.\u202fIt\u2019s\u202fa small moment, but it says a lot about the work\u202fthey\u2019re\u202fdoing and why it matters.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Photo courtesy of Collette<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s\u202falso exactly the kind of impact Collette aims to support through responsible travel.\u202fBecause responsible travel\u202fis at the core of how we\u202foperate, we\u202fpartner with organizations that are creating real, lasting impact\u202fin\u202fthe destinations we visit, and Ocean\u202fSole is one\u202fof them.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While they’re mostly known for transforming ocean waste, like discarded flip-flops, into colorful works of art, Ocean Sole’s mission extends far beyond the workshop. Through their TurtleSafe Project, they protect endangered sea turtles along Kenya’s coast and create employment opportunities for local people in the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That connection between conservation and livelihoods is what makes the work stand out.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Photo courtesy of Collette<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Collette supports this work through our Microgrant program, which provides funding to community organizations around the world. In 2025, we expanded the program with a $10,000 Impact Beyond Grant. Selected\u202fby votes from our employees, travelers, and partners, Ocean Sole was the recipient.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that funding, they were able to\u202fhire\u202fthree new Turtle Rangers, strengthening protection around key nesting sites and expanding economic opportunities for local community members.\u202fAt least one\u202fof these rangers once relied on poaching for income. Today,\u202fthey\u2019re\u202fprotecting the same species they once hunted.\u202f 
\u202f 
That kind of impact\u202fisn\u2019t\u202fpossible in isolation.\u202fIt\u2019s\u202fthe result of a partnership combining local knowledge with shared resources and a long-term commitment to doing things the right way. By working together, organizations like Ocean Sole and Collette\u202fcan\u202fgo further, supporting both conservation efforts and the communities connected to them.\u202fWhile much of that impact happens beyond what they see on tour,\u202fit\u2019s\u202fall part of our broader commitment to investing in the communities and ecosystems tied to each destination.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe have been helped so much by Collette. More rangers are hired now to protect sea turtles. At our landing site, when turtles come to nest, they are\u202fsafe and sound.\u201d\u202f<\/em>\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Salim Karisa\u202fDzengo, Turtle Ranger\u202f <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Travelers on our Plains of Africa\u00a0tour\u00a0visit Ocean Sole\u2019s headquarters in Nairobi as part of an Impact Moment:\u00a0an on-tour\u202fexperience\u202fdesigned to\u202fgive back to local\u202fcommunities.\u202fHere, they\u202flearn about\u202fOcean Sole\u2019s work\u202fand how it\u202fconnects to conservation efforts\u202fon the coast.\u202f\u202fFor some,\u202fit\u2019s\u202fa highlight of the journey.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy favorite moment on tour? Visiting Ocean Sole.\u201d\u202f<\/em> \u2013\u202fTraveler Rita T.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Back on the beach in Kilifi, Salim and Baraka finish securing the eggs, preparing to move them to safety. For them, that\u202fblue\u202fbucket\u202frepresents\u202fa job,\u202fskill, and a way to protect their coastline for generations to come.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For us, the bucket is a testament to the power of responsible travel, one that will help shape the ecosystem in coastal Kenya for years to come, and a reminder of the role we can all play in setting a higher standard for how travel supports communities and conservation.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the Author:<\/strong>\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa Snape is an accomplished senior executive with over 25 years of hospitality,\u202ftourism\u202fand corporate citizenship leadership.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is experienced in strategy and product development, customer experience, marketing, partnerships, pricing & analysis,\u202fnegotiation\u202fand consulting. Her talents include leading through change, strategic planning and facilitation, employee engagement, leadership development, and navigating the complexities of corporate impact, sustainability, and purpose.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A proven leader adept at engaging stakeholders at all levels, she has served on the boards of businesses from startups to the middle market, as well as various non-profits;\u202fand consulted for startups, middle\u202fmarket\u202fand publicly traded companies. She is also a certified holistic wellness coach, with a focus on working with female executives and entrepreneurs, and a passion for mentoring those early in their careers. She currently serves as the Head of Corporate Citizenship at Collette and on\u202fnumerous\u202fBoard of Advisors in the non-profit and social enterprise community.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms. Snape holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Colorado Boulder, and a JD from the Boston University School of Law.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Collette<\/strong>\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collette\u202fhas been a leader in guided travel for more than 100 years, offering tours across all seven continents. As a family-owned\u202fand run\u202fcompany,\u202fit\u2019s\u202ffocused on delivering exceptional travel experiences while making a positive impact worldwide. Through its Corporate Citizenship efforts, Collette supports community engagement, environmental stewardship, economic development and responsible tourism–partnering with local organizations and incorporating Responsible Travel highlights into its tours to benefit both travelers and the destinations they visit. To learn more, visit GoCollette.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Turtles, Trash, and\u202fthe Power of\u202fResponsible Travel\u202f\u202f\u00a0 By Melissa Snape\u202f Two young men crouch over a blue bucket, kneeling in the sand on a beach in Kilifi, Kenya. The sun is\u202fsetting behind them, and the air\u202fis hazy with\u202fmist rolling in\u202fon\u202fthe tide. They look inside the bucket and smile at one another.\u202f  The bucket is full of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5839,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8,110,102,122,109],"class_list":["post-5837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-live-like-a-local","tag-nature","tag-sustainability","tag-travel-tips","tag-wildlife"],"yoast_head":"\nTurtles, Trash, and\u202fthe Power of Responsible Travel\u202f\u202f\u00a0 - USTOA Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how responsible travel creates real impact\u2014from turtle conservation in Kenya to community livelihoods. 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