Sea turtle nesting season is well under way! And while we are not getting the numbers we saw last year, they are still up from 2007 AND we have those 2 leatherback nests! Take a look…
Want a chance to possibly see a nesting turtle? Signed up for one of our Turtle Walks today! Space is limit so don’t miss out…call for your reservation today: 912-635-4444!
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator
This week has flown by, and I can hardly believe that today was the 5th and final day of Sea Turtle Camp! Today we focused on how humans can help sea turtles. Our morning Campers received a presentation and created sea turtle puppets. The afternoon Campers went on a Behind-the-Scenes tour of our Sea Turtle Hospital.
And then it was time for Sea Turtle Camp Graduation. Each morning Camper created a picture of their most favorite activity at Sea Turtle Camp and presented it to their parents. Our afternoon Campers chose their favorite sea turtle and discussed some important facts about them to their parents. Each Camper was presented with a Camp Competition Certificate, a GSTC bracelet and a pledge card to vote for their Patient of the Year!
Read below to learn ways that people can help sea turtles from our Campers:
Morning Campers
“You can help sea turtles by slowing down when you go on a boat.” ~McEver
“You can help by calling the Georgia Sea Turtle Center when you see a hurt or sick turtle.” ~Sydney
“Shrimp nets should have a T.E.D. (turtle excluder device)!” ~Reilly
“I can help sea turtles by picking up trash.” ~Ashley
“I learned that we can take sick sea turtles to the turtle hospital.” ~ Faith
“Instead of using J hooks, we can use circle hooks.” ~Jackson
“We need to help turtles feel well by taking them to the hospital.” ~Hanna
Afternoon Campers
“We can throw away our trash.” ~Ciera
“You can help sea turtles by trying not to liter, donate money to sea turtle centers or to just learn more about them.” ~ Jenna
“Help sea turtles by taking them to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center or move them across the road if they are a land turtle.” ~Zoe
“We can help turtles by recycling and using bigger bottles rather than smaller bottles (reducing our waste).” ~Juliana
“You can help by keeping your environment clean.” ~Brooke
“Pick up the trash!” ~Alex
“Use circle hooks, and check nets and fishing lines often.” ~Colton
Today, our Sea Turtle Campers learned that they most important way to help sea turtles is through education. These 15 Campers became sea turtle experts this week! It is incredible the amount of scientific information they have retained. Their duty after Sea Turtle Camp, is to continue spreading the word about sea turtle conservation to their friends and family. Campers have also been invited to become Sea Turtle Pen Pals with a group of Campers from Pro Peninsula’s Sea Turtle Camp, in San Diego, California!
The GSTC Education Staff would like to thank Campers and parents alike, for participating in the first annual Sea Turtle Camp. This was our first year hosting Sea Turtle Camp, and thanks to its success we plan on hosting additional weeks of Camp next year!
Congratulations Sea Turtle Campers, and thank you!
I would also like to express my sincerest gratitude to the GSTC Education Staff (Kelly O’Keefe, Teddy Ivey, Liz Jeyes, Nicki Pinnell, Steph Chong) and to former GSTC Education Interns Maura Brown and Whitney Groth. They came back just for this week to help with Camp! Thanks for making Sea Turtle Camp a success!
~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator
And our new sea turtle’s name is….
Caretta...
...Hope
Our morning Campers decided on “Caretta,” the latin name for the Loggerhead sea turtle, and our new patient is a Loggerhead. And the afternoon Campers decided on “Hope” because they are hopeful that even with only 2 flippers (she is missing both of her rear flippers) that she will have a successful rehabilitation here at the GSTC. Put them together and what do you get? Caretta Hope!
On our 4th day of Sea Turtle Camp, we focused on the human-associated threats that sea turtles face. We learned about marine debris through our interactive game, Garbage in the Water. Campers also became human board game pieces as we played the Sea Turtle Survivor Game on a giant, outside gameboard! And no day is complete without a craft; Campers made reusable canvas bags, decorated with the Sea Turtle Prints they created by using recycled styrofoam trays! Look how creative these Campers are!
Morning Campers
Sea Turtle Survivor (game)
“I learned that some of the reasons that the sea turtle are in the hospital are because of people.” ~Sydney
“Sharks can hurt sea turtles!” ~ Faith
“I like the Sea Turtle Survivor game!” ~Hanna
“I learned that it is easier to prevent polution, then to clean it up.” ~McEver
“Polluting the water is bad!” ~Jackson
“My favorite thing was when we played the Garbage in the Water game.” ~Ashley
“You should not pollute! ~Reilly
Afternoon Campers
Zoe shows off her reusable bag!
“I learned that things that are made from plants, break down faster.” ~Zoe
“I learned that accretion is when sand bulds up somewhere – it is the opposite of erosion.” ~Emma
“I learned what humans can do to help turtles, like turtle friendly lighting.” ~Brooke
“I learned that when humans throw plastic bags in the ocean other turtles mistake it to be jellyfish!” ~Ciera
“Boats are a major threat to turtles.” ~Colton
Alex chose Cohen for his Turtle Print
“I learned that erosion can harm turtles.” ~Juliana
“I learned that the main threat to sea turtles are actually humans!” ~Jenna
“The white spots on an orca whale that look like eyes, aren’t really their eyes!” ~Alex
Only one day left of Sea Turtle Camp! Tomorrow we wrap up the week by discussing how people can help sea turtles. More games, crafts and fun to come!
~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator
Alicia explains the Edible Nest (eggs = marshmallows!)
Morning Campers
Before...
“Sea turtles have a hard time.” –Jackson
“I learned that you can tell a boy turtle from a girl by their tail.” –McEver
...during...
“I learned that ghost crabs might snap sea turtles. My favorite thing was learning about turtles.” –Faith
“I learned that it is hard for baby sea turtles to get to the sea.” –Ashley
“I learned that crabs will eat baby sea turtles.” –Sydney
“My favorite was seeing a ghost crab.” –Hanna
..After!
“It is hard for sea turtles to live.” –Reilly
Afternoon Campers
“A killer whale eats sea turtles.” –Alex
They may be clean now....
“There are lots of predators for hatchlings and less for juveniles and even less for sub-adults and adults.” –Colton
“I learned how one thing can affect many other things like when the beach gets polluted, turtles may not nest there.” –Brooke
“I learned that the hardest part of a sea turtle’s life is being an egg and hatchling.” –Ciera
“Orca whales can crush a turtle’s shell and eat the turtle.” –Emma
“I learned that if one thing is taken of a food web then it affects the whole web.” –Jenna
...but look at these faces!
“I learned that when a leatherback lays it’s eggs it has smaller ones near the top so predators eat them and they don’t like them so they leave.” –Zoe
“I learned that there are a lot of predators that can harm baby sea turtle eggs.” –Juliana
Our Campers were also given a unique opportunity today – to name our new sea turtle patient! Each group of Campers was given the mission to go home and think of the best sea turtle name ever. Then, tomorrow we will vote on the name as a class. By tomorrow evening, our new turtle will have a name, so be sure to check back! How awesome is that! Just one of the many perks of being in Sea Turtle Camp!
Don’t YOU want to be in Sea Turtle Camp?!?! If so, let me know! If there is enough interest, the GSTC may host another week of Sea Turtle Camp!
~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator
Ready? Set? NEST!!! That is what Sea Turtle Camp was all about today; sea turtle nesting and turtle tracks. Both groups started their day with Scute’s Ocean Adventure puppet show. Next, we learned about the nesting and hatching processes through an interactive presentation. And then, it was off to the beach, to see real sea turtle nest (one from last night) and the tracks she left behind in the sand. Our morning Campers played the Sea Turtle Survival Game, while our afternoon Campers participated in a mock sea turtle nest excavation. Let’s see what our Campers learned today;
Morning Campers
“Baby sea turtles get eaten, so not a lot of turtles get to be adults.” ~Hanna
“My favorite thing was walking on the beach, finding sea shells and learning about them.” ~Faith
“I learned that it is hard for turtles to live!” ~Reilly
“My favorite thing was when we saw sea turtle tracks at the beach.” ~Sydney
“I learned that Loggerhead sea turtle tracks are zig-zags.” ~Ashley
“”I learned that not all sea turtles become adults.” ~Jackson
“I learned that 1 out of 4,000 baby sea turtles live to be adults!” ~McEver
Afternoon Campers (and Maura Brown, former GSTC Education Intern ’08)
“I learned that fire ants eat sea turtle eggs.” ~ Alex
“I learned that 50% of sick or injured sea turtles get sick or injured because of boat accidents.” ~Zoe
“When a sea turtle is in its eggs, it eats the yolk for nutrients.” ~Emma
“I learned how to tell different turtle tracks apart. The heavier turtles drag along the ground and pull with both flippers, but the lighter ones, waddle back and forth, using one flipper and then the other.” ~Brooke
“I learned that most turtle that are sick and hurt, got hit by a boat.” ~Juliana
“I learned that counter shading is when a sea turtle is a dark color on it’s carapace and a light color on its plastron. This allows the sea turtle better camouflage from its predators.” ~Jenna
“Sea turtles lay their eggs about 2 feet down in the sand.” ~Colton
“Sea turtles depend on the movement of the ocean as one way to find their way around.” ~Ciera
While it was extremely hot on the beach today, we look forward to heading back out tomorrow to become Dune Detectives and learn about the natural threats sea turtles face.
~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator