After 7 VERY long days and nights, our six teachers have successfully completed the first session of the 2009 GSTC Teacher Workshop.  In addition to a day in husbandry, and a night with Turtle Patrol, all six participants presented an educational program to the public and led a Turtle Walk!  After our final Turtle Walk, I was under the impression they would go back to the hotel and relax, and then I received this;

“Teachers always have to have the last word and we would like our last one to be a big old THANKS! We all agree that we have been given the chance of a lifetime to work with some of the most special patients and we thank the GSTC staff for having the patience to work with us. In Georgia, we have all stumbled across logs, but imagine our excitement on our first turtle walk to stumble upon a nesting loggerhead who had never before been tagged. Our boys boasted that they would bring in a leatherback on their patrol and indeed they did! We saw our loggerhead on Saturday night and we spent the night with the very picky leatherback on Monday night. We were taught by a true teacher as we raced through the maritime forest with 4-H director, Richard Chewning. He renewed our spark with his energy and enthusiasm. Georgia Graves saved our thumbnails when we dug up the nifty little thumbsplitter and taught us piles about the ecology of barrier islands. The staff of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center shared their vast knowledge with us during our visit. As we migrate back to our own respective parts of Georgia, we will share our education with our own little hatchlings.

As teachers, we understand that scheduling, planning, and organization are vital for memorable educational experiences. We would like to thank Alicia for her time and effort to make this an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience for all of us.

To the upcoming July teacher turtle team in teal, we believe that records are made to be broken. We challenge you to work hard, sleep little, learn much, and above all, bring in those turtles! We hope you have a successful trip and hope you leave with as many wonderful memories as we have. Last but not least, we’d like to thank our fearless leaders (and yes, they were FEARLESS), Dr. Marti Schriver and Dr. Ken Clark for doing the legwork behind the grant that brought all of us here. If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, please make this one of your summer destinations. We promise it will be an experience you will never forget!”

Happy Turtling,

Amy, Elizabeth, Mark, Rob, Sandra, and Tracey

I speak on behalf of the entire GSTC Staff when I say, it was a pleasure working with each and every one of the.  They truly were a great group of individuals and we continue to look forward to working with them in the future.  Tracey and Rob came down today to assist with Nest Fest!  Thanks again guys for a great week!  Be sure to check back with us next month, when we offer the second session of the GSTC Teacher Workshop.

~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator

This just in…we will be releasing a few sea turtles THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009!! 

We had a few obstacles to overcome (getting transmitters in and permission from Florida to release turtles that came from there) but it has all worked out so we are planning the release.  This entire week we’ve been celebrating our 2 year anniversary and Nest Fest event.  The finale of Nest Fest week is on Saturday from 12pm-4pm at the Beachdeck (FREE!), which will end with the sea turtle release (please see our website www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org for more information about Nest Fest).  Here are the details of the release:

When: Saturday, June 13, 2009

Where: Beachdeck, Jekyll Island, GA

Time: 4:00 pm

Who: Duffy,  Simone, and Pumpkin (all loggerheads with a satellite transmitter attached to their carapace!)

DUFFY

PUMPKIN

SIMONE

*Please note that all releases are subject to change at any time (including day, time and/or location) and in the best interest of the turtle(s).  We will attempt to provide any new information or changes via this blog as they become available.  Currently 2 of the 3 turtles are not behaving quite normally after their treatments yesterday (satellite transmitter placement, flipper tags, PIT tag and final exam), but this tends to be a common reaction and typically resolves itself within a few days.  However, if any of the turtles are still not behaving normally by Saturday, those individuals will not be released as planned.

Hope to see you at the Beachdeck and at the release!

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Only one day left…looks like Mark and Rob have truly enjoyed their experience here at the GSTC.  Even if they did have to wear the color teal!

“Taking It Back Home”

As the heat and humidity roll in to the coastal area of Georgia so do the injured and sick turtles. Our next to last day here at the GSTC, we were provided an opportunity to view and participate behind the scenes in husbandry. The staff and volunteers were very gracious in lending their time to demonstrate the dedication that is put forth everyday toward educating the public and rehabilitating the patients. As more turtles are admitted into the center, the difficult task of assessing and providing each patient with the care needed falls on the professional staff of the husbandry. The goal of this department is to rehabilitate toward recovery that enables a turtle to resume a normal life in their natural environment.

Unfortunately, one the newly admitted patients passed away this morning due to injuries sustained on the causeway earlier this week. However, for this loss there was something gained; the staff was able to extract six terrapin eggs for incubation. From these eggs, hatchlings will emerge and will be given an opportunity to return to their natural habitat.

As we wrap of our final days we collaborated on how we could incorporate our experiences into the classroom back home. Each teacher takes with them ideas and concepts learned from the variety of resources found on Jekyll Island. These approaches provide endless activities that offer higher level thinking and enhanced learning for our students. Concepts such as classifying organisms, identifying tidal ranges, ecological relationships, oceanography, and adaptations are among the few to be brought back to the classroom. The partnership between GSTC and Georgia educators creates a shared opportunity to publicize the importance of conserving Coastal Georgia.

Thanks for having us!!!”

~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coodinator

~Mark Weese and Rob Lindsey, GSTC Teacher Workshop Participants

As promised, here are a few photos of our leatherback from her first emergence & nest…

Step 1: Crawl up the beach and find a good spot

Step 2: Dig a chamber and lay your eggs

Step 3: Cover & camouflage your nest

Step 4: Head back to the sea

Step 5: Aahhh, refreshing ocean…now swim into open water

Hope you enjoyed a look at our Leatherback Lady!

Sincerely,

Stefanie Ouellette

Marine Field Programs Coordinator

The week is going by very quickly!  Read below to learn about Elizabeth and Sandra’s day in Husbandry:

“Awesome! The only word to describe the experiences that we encountered today while working in the hospital section of GSTC. The morning started off with the routine duties including temperature checks of the water and the cleaning of the tanks. We were actually assisting the hospital staff with the feeding procedures for each of the turtles. Can you imagine the feeling that was generated inside us as we saw the eyes of the turtles when their meal was presented? Oh but wait. You haven’t heard anything yet. The transmitters that are to be mounted on the turtles arrived yesterday, so today the hospital staff put one of the transmitters on the turtle called Pumpkin. They first gave her a general physical to make sure she was ready to be released. Blood was drawn for testing and some was given to two professors from Armstrong State University who were doing research on immunity markers in sea turtles.

Dr. Norton and his assistants began preparing Pumpkin’s shell for the application of the transmitter. Once her shell was ready, they used an epoxy glue to hold the transmitter on. The epoxy was applied all over the transmitter, not just the bottom, so it would hold on longer and the center would receive data for a longer period of time. With this transmitter, Pumpkin can be located any time she is above the water so the GSTC will know where her migration takes her and where she nests in the future.”

Happy Turtling,

Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator

Sandra L. Bailey, Ed.S Science Education, GSTC Teacher Workshop Participant

Elizabeth P. Toole, Ed.S. Science & Gifted Education, GSTC Teacher Workshop Participant