Austin-based coffee company joins forces with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at The University of Miami to further environmental endeavors.

AUSTIN, TX (April 2018) In honor of Earth Day 2018, Ruta Maya Coffee announced their new partnership with the Shark Research & Conservation Program at The University of Miami, and marine ecologist Dr. Neil Hammerschlag.

Directed by Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, the Shark Research & Conservation Program (SRC) at the University of Miami conducts cutting-edge science to save the ocean’s apex predators and subsequently restore ecosystem function in a human-altered world. SRC research and outreach is focused on understanding and creating solutions for human threats such as climate change, exploitation and habitat loss on sharks and their ecosystems. The Shark Research & Conservation Program generates the critical science needed to implement effective shark and marine conservation.

Ruta Maya Coffee is supporting SRC in furthering mutual goals of environmental research and education. The Austin-based coffee company will ‘adopt’ their own shark, continuing SRC’s satellite tracking study of these deeply misunderstood apex-predators- many populations of which are in great decline and need immediate scientific and conservation attention. Ruta Maya’s contributions will also help advance SRC’s efforts in educating the next generation of environmentally conscious leaders, providing more than 1,000 school children each year with hands-on scientific field experience in shark research.

“I’m excited to have Ruta Maya Coffee support the Shark Research & Conservation Program. We would not be able to do this work without the commitment from environmentally conscientious brands like Ruta Maya Coffee,” said Dr. Hammerschlag.

Environmental preservation is core to Ruta Maya’s operations, where working with small family-owned organic farms that intermix crops to promote soil longevity and abstaining from any use of chemical processing are viewed as non-negotiables.

“We are always eager to participate in constructive programs that couple education and action,” says Ruta Maya Coffee Founder Tim Sheehan. “We look forward to embarking on this new journey into the sea of sustainability with the Shark Research and Conservation Program. 

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About Ruta Maya Coffee: Ruta Maya Coffee Company imports 100% organic, shade-grown Arabica coffee beans from the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico -- the land of the ancient and modern Maya. Grown in partnership with cooperatives of indigenous Mayan farmers, the carefully harvested green coffee beans are imported to Austin, Texas, where they are custom roasted to exacting standards and packed fresh daily. Ruta Maya works directly with their farmers, incurring both organic and social fees. These fees help provide additional resources for farmers to put towards programs and classes of their choosing. Ruta Maya is dedicated to supporting cultural, educational, and environmental initiatives for the Maya in Chiapas and the world at large.

To learn more about the Shark Research & Conservation Program at the University of Miami visit: www.SharkTagging.com