Coral Restoration Foundation™ (CRF) was thrilled to bring hands-on restoration to the employees and guests of long-term supporter Baker’s Cay Resort in Key Largo on Saturday, October 19, 2024, in an event that empowered Florida Keys locals and visitors alike to make a difference in coral reef conservation.
Our coral restoration initiative employs an array of materials that are constructed by our team based in the Florida Keys, including Coral Trees™ and Spiral Trees, tree floats, monofilament lines for hanging branching corals, coral transport trays, and coral plugs among many others. Following a request from long-time supporter Baker’s Cay Resort and with the aid of a grant from The Hilton Global Foundation, our team put together an event to bring restoration material construction to their team during an exciting hands-on experience.
To kick off the event, the CRF team presented our mission to multiple groups of Baker’s Cay Resort employees, sharing the challenges facing coral reef ecosystems and the actions that CRF is implementing to preserve and restore these vital ecosystems. After the presentation, employees eagerly rolled up their sleeves to help assemble restoration structures. It was a lively session filled with laughter and learning as they picked up new construction skills in the context of restoration, hammering branches into Spiral Trees and malleting boulder trays together with determination. In just ninety minutes, Baker’s Cay Resort employees from all departments successfully built six Spiral Trees, eleven coral trays, and four hundred monofilament lines, all of which will be used in the coming months as we improve our offshore nurseries and resume coral outplanting.
After an exciting morning session, we spent the sunny afternoon running a two-booth outreach event on Baker’s Cay Resort beach. Guests hailing from around the world had the opportunity to learn about our mission and work and gain hands-on coral outplanting practice, while younger guests were entertained next door with a slime-making educational workshop. The international reach at these booths amplified the impact of this outreach massively – those who engaged with our booths left with newfound knowledge of corals and inspiration for reefs they create, not only in the Keys but around the world.
Our long-term collaboration with Baker’s Cay Resort emerged from a sincere commitment by the resort to sustainable practices. The resort offers complimentary reef-safe sunscreen on site and has eliminated single-use plastics from their bars, restaurants, and room toiletries. Guests can also purchase reusable bottles to use at filtered water stations around the resort, a portion of the proceeds from which are donated to Coral Restoration Foundation – since 2021, sales of these reusable water bottles have resulted in over $11,500 raised for our mission.
Our shared commitment to coral reef conservation and restoration has empowered our organization to reach new people with our mission. John Hearns, Baker’s Cay Resort General Manager shares, "Baker's Cay Resort is naturally and authentically Key Largo. As a Florida Keys Resort, we understand the responsibility we have to continually lead the efforts to preserve our local ecosystems, which, in turn will preserve the world's ecosystems. Coral Restoration Foundation has educated not only our Guests on the mission, but also our associates that live in and have an impact on our community. Baker's Cay Resort looks forward to our continued partnership with Coral Restoration Foundation, and the future of our planet's ecosystems under our environmental stewardship."
Education on conservation topics is essential to the success of our work, as the community’s awareness of the challenges facing Florida’s Coral Reef is crucial for progress to be made. Just as a healthy reef supports coastal communities, an educated community supports a healthy reef. We are grateful Baker’s Cay Resort for their invitation to educate their employees and guests and for their ongoing support of our mission and sustainability in all of their work.
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