Eastern Shipbuilding backs sea turtle conservation
The Florida Coastal Conservancy has received a $5,000 donation from Eastern Shipbuilding Group Charities to support the 2025 Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Festival and the 2026 Pickleball for Sea Turtles Tournament, events that play a vital role in raising awareness about sea turtle populations along the northern Gulf Coast while generating funds for the Conservancy’s outreach and education efforts throughout Gulf County. Pictured from left are Jim McKnight, director, Gulf County Economic Development Coalition; Jessica Swindall, director, Florida Coastal Conservancy; and England Reeves, director of operations, Eastern Shipbuilding Group – Port St. Joe.
Established in 2011, the Conservancy is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports the St. Joseph Peninsula Turtle Patrol, which monitors sea turtle nesting activity along the southern six miles of St. Joseph Peninsula; and the Forgotten Coast Sea Turtle Center, which provides free educational programs for residents and visitors of Port St. Joe.
“We are proud to support the Florida Coastal Conservancy in its mission to protect and preserve the marine ecosystems that are so vital to our region,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “At Eastern, we recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy coastal environment, not only for sea turtles but for the communities and industries that depend on these waters. Through partnerships like this, we continue our commitment to environmental stewardship and the long-term sustainability of our local waterways.”
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.