About Hermit House

Our Mission Focus

Hermit House mission graphic

Hermit House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ethical, sustainable hermit crab breeding and conservation.

We are working to end the sale of wild-caught hermit crabs by investing in ethical captive breeding, education, and conservation.

Hermit House was granted 501(c)(3) status on October 12, 2022. We did it!

Education mission card

Education

We help people understand the vital role hermit crabs play in healthy ecosystems.

Conservation mission card

Conservation

We protect wild populations and the lands they inhabit.

Captive breeding mission card

Captive Breeding

We develop reliable captive-breeding methods and mentor future breeders.

Founder & leadership

Mary Akers, founder and executive director, is a pioneer in land hermit crab captive breeding and a frequent public spokesperson for hermit crab welfare.

She leads education, outreach, research, and mentorship efforts while sharing program updates and myth-busting guidance on ethical care.

Our seven-part approach

  1. Establish a reliable captive-breeding program for land hermit crabs.
  2. Continually improve the methods for captive-breeding land hermit crabs.
  3. Mentor and support potential land hermit crab breeders.
  4. Educate the public on the capture and abuse of wild hermit crabs for the pet trade.
  5. End the sale of wild-caught hermit crabs.
  6. Preserve populations of wild hermit crabs and the lands they inhabit.
  7. Host Crab Con, our annual educational hermit crab conference.