North Carolina Aquarium receives donation from coastal retailer

The Cottage Shop donated $1,600 to the aquarium to help with sea turtle conservation work.

Pictured from left: Larry Warner, NC Aquarium director; Becca Reeves of Kellogg Supply/The Cottage Shop; Amy Smith of Kellogg Supply/The Cottage Shop

North Carolina Aquariums

The Cottage Shop/Kellogg Supply, a coastal retailer focused on home decor with locations in Nags Head and Duck, North Carolina, presented a check for $1,600 to the North Carolina Aquariums on Roanoke Island for its Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (S.T.A.R.) Center to support sea turtle care.

For the past six years, The Cottage Shop has raised donations for the S.T.A.R. Center exclusively by setting aside 10 cents for each Cottage Shop customer who chooses to “skip the bag” on their purchases. Additional funds have been raised when customers offer to contribute more to the program.

The Cottage Shop’s reduction of single-use plastic by promoting the skip-the-bag program is reflective of the aquarium’s mission to inspire appreciation and conservation of aquatic environments, according to the North Carolina Aquarium. The aquarium shares that a discarded plastic bag floating in the water looks like a jellyfish, which is a food source for sea turtles.

“Because sea turtles cannot tell the difference between a plastic bag and a jellyfish, they often ingest plastic bags, which leads to dire health consequences,” states the North Carolina Aquarium.

“It’s heartwarming to know that The Cottage Shop is committed to sea turtle care and rehabilitation,” says Larry Warner, director of the North Carolina Aquarium. “It brings a smile to my face each year they present us with funds raised from this conservation effort. Sea turtle rehabilitation and release takes a great deal of time and dedication from the team at the S.T.A.R. Center. Their important work is made possible by every cent donated by Cottage Shop customers.”

The 3,000-square-foot S.T.A.R. Center, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024, provides year-round medical care and rehabilitation assistance to sea turtles, mostly loggerhead, Kemps ridley and greens. During the winter of 2024-2025, the center provided care to nearly 800 cold-stunned sea turtles.