EMMA’S DILEMMA

The ocean is the home to a little turtle I know.

I must warn you that her story contains some sorrow.

My little friend’s name is Emma, and she has a dilemma.

Sometimes, turtles get injured when they surface to breathe air.

A boat moving forward may bump into one there.

A propeller moves a boat forward; that is it’s purpose.

Emma and a boat collided at the ocean’s surface.

Injured Emma had washed ashore. We say, “She stranded.”

Don’t worry. She was not left abandoned.

Scientists picked her up and brought her here, fast.

The vet and rehab staff weren’t sure how long she’d last.

Her wound was severe; so she looked rather sickly.

We use honey to help heal Emma quickly.

A vacuum on her bandage at night helped Emma to sleep tight.

We wanted her shell to scar and be well.

Now, here is the issue.

She has infection in one type of tissue.

She is losing strength in her bones, which means she is fragile.

Wild sea turtles need to be strong and agile.

We worry for little Emma because of her dilemma.

We are still using honey on Emma’s shell.

We are also giving her antibiotics so that her infected bones won’t swell.

If you are saddened by Emma’s situation, you may feel compelled to make a donation.

We would appreciate any help we can get so that we will be less likely to fret.

If you live near, come and see our Emma, dear.

If you live far away, do not delay.  Read Emma’s story on this site, today.

~Amanda Noble, Education Member~

If you find a turtle on the beach that looks sick or injured, like Emma:

Call 1-800-2SAVE ME

For more tips, follow this link:

http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/about-us/found-turtles

If you would like to know more about Emma, visit the GSTC or follow this link :

http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/our-patients/sea-turtle-patients/current-patients

Thank you for your concern.

Turtles for Tomorrow

a FREE scout event

Learn all about turtles at this ‘scouts only’ event!

Spend a day on beautiful Jekyll Island and join the staff of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the Jekyll Island 4-H Center and Tidelands Nature Center to learn how you can help ensure that turtles survive for tomorrow!

This FREE event is open to Boy and Girl Scouts (recommended ages 8-12), their troops and leaders.

Space is limited and reservations required!

Contact Kelly Price at (912) 635-4076 or kokeefe@jekyllisland.com to register

Lend us a flipper! Print this flyer to post or bring to your next meeting!

My name is Christine and I’m a third year veterinary student at the University of Wisconsin. The university is located in the capital city of Madison and is home to the Badgers! We have a lot of cold weather and cows here, but certainly no sea turtles! As a student with strong interests in zoological medicine and conservation, I felt extremely happy to have the opportunity to spend a month learning at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center last summer.

Each year the local Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, WI awards the Henry Vilas Zoological Society Scholarship to veterinary students who want to pursue a research project that involves wildlife health, medicine and management. I was fortunate to receive support from this scholarship to work with Dr. Norton on the Loggerhead Nutrition research project. Appropriate nutrition is critical for the health of any animal and is an important part of veterinary medicine, so I was very excited about this study! Some of the goals for my contributions to the project included sorting through DNR records to identify common prey items, organizing and shipping blood samples to various labs, compiling lots of data (ongoing!) and learning how to draw a blood samples from Loggerheads. Dr. Norton is an excellent mentor and I learned an immense amount from him, as well as the entire the GSTC team!

Besides research, I was able to participate in the daily husbandry and care for many of the turtle patients at the center. The individualized care and attention provided to each patient by the dedicated staff and volunteers was remarkable! I learned about transponder placement and prepping animals reintroduction. Aussie, Miss Betty, Route, and Duffy were all released during my month on Jekyll and what a wonderful experience it was to watch these animals swim away into the ocean! Moreover, a few new patients were admitted while I was at the center including Caton and Tunicate. I really liked learning how to work up their cases and watching their progress.

I also had the unexpected opportunity to assist Dr. Norton with some of his work for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and also for St. Catherine’s Island, including a marine mammal stranding event and ring-tailed lemur wellness exams. I went on beach patrol several nights to track nesting Loggerheads and was even lucky enough to see a Leatherback nesting on Jekyll Island!

My time at the GSTC was invaluable to my veterinary education and I feel so grateful to Dr. Norton and the amazing staff, interns and volunteers for such an incredible experience! I look forward to continuing my work on the Loggerhead nutrition study and to visiting the GSTC again soon!

Christine

With Spring still a few months away,  wouldn’t it be nice to have a piece of Jekyll Island around to remind you of all the fun and exciting things you did while visiting here.  We have an array of decorative sculptures handcrafted by a local artist by the name of Tyler Dominey.  Look below to read all about him, his story is amazing and fascinating.

These are just a few samples of some of the sculptures we have in our Gift Shop.  Stop by to see our complete collection!

**(Prices starting at $14.95, selection subject to change)**

Sincerely,
Peggy Van Buren
Gift Shop Coordinator