The GSTC education staff loves sea turtle camp so much, that five weeks here on Jekyll Island was just not enough!  We decided to take camp on the road to Nevis, West Indies!  This is the natal island of Sea Turtle Camp, the place where it all began.  It was only four short years ago when our current education coordinator, Alicia Marin, spent the summer of 2006 conducting her masters research on Nevis.  Alicia was invited to the island by Lemme Pemberton and his colleagues of the Nevis Turtle Group (NTG) to help establish the nesting population on the island.  The NTG was approached by the Four Seasons Hotel to create a sea turtle inspired activity for local children.

Alicia quickly jumped on the idea and created a Sea Turtle Camp curriculum on the spot!  She later compiled the efforts of Sea Turtle Camp into a user friendly guidebook, Sun, Sand, and Sea Turtles: Inspiring Youth Through Hands on Learning.  This Guidebook serves as the basis for education programs here at the GSTC and is currently being used by organizations across the United States and beyond.  It is currently being published and will be available in the GSTC Gift Shop this fall!

This year we returned to Nevis to teach the 3rd Annual Sea Turtle Camp on Nevis, July 19th through the 26th.  We hosted two week-long sessions geared toward 8-12 years.  However, we did have some sea turtle enthusiasts as young as 5 years old join us!   Teddy Ivey (GSTC Educator), Sarah Eckert (former GSTC Educator), Griffin Eckert (Sarah’s husband, the namesake of one of our most popular turtles) and Alicia Marin (GSTC Education Coordinator) led the first week of Camp.  Sarah Stock (AmeriCorps Education Member) joined us the second week to replace Teddy and Griffin.  While attendance started off light, we had 50 plus children graduate as junior conservationists.  This included 10 Campers from 2009 that came back to join in more Turtle fun!

We followed the same curriculum as Camp here on Jekyll Island, only this time focusing on Caribbean sea turtles.  The week began with a general overview of the 6 species found in the Caribbean sea.  The Campers learned unique facts about each species and how to tell them apart.  Day1 was not only filled with exciting information, but fun crafts, and of course lots of games!  As you can see, even adults joined in on the fun!

On the second day, the children learned about the nesting process and how to identify the different turtle tracks.  This skill really came in handy when we visited the beach later in the week and the children were able to tell us which sea turtles had nested there the night before.  We were also lucky enough to have Mr. Pemberton bring in some Hawksbill sea turtle hatchlings!  The Hawksbill sea turtle is the most common nester on Nevis.

The next two days focused on natural threats and humans associated threats to sea turtles.  This is when we introduced our young turtle enthusiasts to the always popular Egg-cellent Nest Protectors^TM game.  At first our Campers were tentative to become nesting females and bury their eggs (mini-marshmallow) in their nest (vanilla pudding, crushed graham crackers and whipped cream).  However, after the counselors showed them how much fun it was, they were eager to give it a try and get dirty!

When asked in a TV interview, the students indicated that their favorite activity was going to the beach on Day 4.  We traveled to Lover’s Beach, Nevis’ main nesting beach.   While at the beach, we talked about how each of us can do simple things to help our sea turtle friends.  The students eagerly picked up many pieces of trash to provide a clean beach for the three species of sea turtles nest that may nest there.  The three species known to nest on Lover’s Beach include the Hawksbill, Leatherback, and the Green sea turtle.

On the last day of Camp, Mr. Pemberton, presented on the Nevis Turtle Group, talking about how it was established, their current projects and how the Campers and their families could get involved.  He also encouraged them to join him on the beach to help with research and possibly see a nesting turtle!  Mr. Pemberton was thoroughly impressed with all of the knowledge the children gained in one week and we have already been talking about Sea Turtle Camp on Nevis for 2011!

Each of the Campers also made a poster showcasing ways that people of all age can help sea turtles.  There were many great ideas from picking up trash to simply telling them how much you love them, our personal favorite.  All graduates were presented with a Certificate of Completion and a GSTC (Giving Sea Turtles a Chance) bracelet.

At this time we would like to express our deepest thanks to the following individuals that made Sea Turtle Camp a reality;  Ellis Chaderton and his staff at Scuba Safaris Ltd and Oualie Beach Resort for their continued support and friendship.  Ms. Pam Berry, owner of Golden Rock Inn for her generous donation of housing for the entire two weeks.  This beautiful resort was much more than we expected.  It was a beautiful setting with breath taking views, excellent food, and even monkeys on the roof. And most importantly, Lemme Pemberton and the Nevis Turtle Group, for inviting us to partake in this unforgettable experience.  We look forward to assisting with these annual Camps in the future!

To our online viewers, if you are looking for a magical, Caribbean getaway, may we suggest Nevis, West Indies?!?!  It is a beautiful island, with extremely friendly people and we know you will love it as much as we did.  If you do visit, be sure to visit the above mentioned places and tell them the “Turtle Gyal” (Alicia) sent you!

~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator and Teddy Ivey, GSTC Educator

Emma!

Congratulations to the first Green sea turtle winner of our 3^rd annual contest!

Each year, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center shell-e-brates its anniversary with a Patient of the Year contest. For a $1 donation, guests can vote on their favorite sea turtle patient that best represents our mission of Research, Rehabilitation and Education.

Emma is no stranger to the GSTC. In 2009, Emma was found floating in the river near Fernandina, FL. Thanks to Jason, an employee of the Fernadina Port Authority, Emma was safely delivered to the Amelia Island Sea Turtle Watch for transport to the GSTC. Emma (short for emerald) has a very severe boat strike injury to his/her carapace. The fracture runs about 2/3 of the way down his/her carapace, paralleling her spine. The lung is actually visible from the wound. As part of our rehabilitation efforts, treating her with a sterile honey coated bandage called Medi-honey (often used in human burn victims) and Vacuum Assisted Wound Care (VAC) has expedited Emma’s recovery.  She is most likely the most severely wounded sea turtle that we have treated to date. Boat strike injuries are found in over 20% of the stranded sea turtles that are seen on the Georgia coast and are a huge issue worldwide. Emma is a remarkable survivor and has served as an ambassador for all boat strike-injured turtles. By educating the public on responsible boating and water recreation, Emma’s story has opened the eyes of many guests to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Perhaps that’s why she received 29 votes!

Tying for second place with 25 votes each were Caretta Hope and Amy! Both Loggerhead sea turtle patients have been long-time favorites over the past year.

Caretta Hope was found in the Matanzas River in St. Johns County, Florida on June 11, 2009. Named Caretta Hope by our first sea turtle campers of the summer, the turtle was missing both rear flippers! Her injuries had already healed upon arrival. However, the red blood cells present in her body were extremely low. She was treated with Procrit, a medication used in human cancer patients to stimulate cell growth and she fully recovered. Caretta Hope was released with a satellite transmitter on July 14, 2010 and is now swimming happily where every sea turtle should be!

You may have met Amy on one of your visits to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.  As the smallest sea turtle patient, Amy resides in a special tank just inside our exhibit gallery. Amy was found by 2008 turtle patrollers that excavated a hatched nest right here on Jekyll Island. As they put her on the sand to make her triumphant crawl to the ocean, patrollers noticed that she was unable to move her front flippers. Tucked underneath her body, they were completely paralyzed. 2 full years of physical therapy have resulted in 60% mobility in Amy’s front flippers! Although she’s not able to swim as well as other sea turtle patients, she’s well on her way to a full recovery. Her petite size and have won over the hearts of many GSTC guests.

Come by to visit Amy and Emma and pass along your get-well wishes. Follow Caretta Hope and her ocean travels by visiting http://www.seaturtle.org/tracking/?project_id=262

~ Kelly Price, Education Specialist

Just days before fireworks and July 4^th celebrations, twenty 6-9 year old campers graduated as Junior Conservationists from Sea Turtle Camp! With wearable sea turtle shells in tow, the Conservationists-in-Training spent five days learning all about sea turtles! How? They witnessed two sea turtle feedings, created sea turtle crafts, participated in beach activities and visited with sea turtle patients! One favorite patient to visit was Amy, a two year old Loggerhead sea turtle that was excavated from a nest in 2008. She continues her physical therapy at the Center for front flipper paralysis and is quite a hit with our pint-sized guests!

After a week of games, activities and lots of learning fun, our campers amazed us at how much they’d learned about sea turtles! To highlight their accomplishments, moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles joined us for a graduation shell-e-bration! A special visitor named Scute, the Loggerhead mascot of the GSTC, stopped by to congratulate the graduates. After photos and hugs, Scute scampered quickly to the sea.

Our newest graduates are now headed home to places near and far. You may come across a Junior Conservationist that is anxious to share what they learned this summer!

Kelly Price, Education Specialist

Greetings sea turtle enthusiasts!  I apology for the delay in posting the remaining blogs from our June Teacher Workshop.  The GSTC Education Department and I have been extremely busy with Sea Turtle Camp (more blogs to come soon), Intergenerational Elderhostel Sea Turtle Camp, Turtle Walks…and the list goes on.  Quite an exciting time for us!

Please read below to learn about Johnetta D. Moore’s (Risley Early College Academy) experience at the GSTC.

“Ring, ring, ring…was the only sound in our hotel room, it was 1:37AM. Startled we answered the phone but to our amazement this call would change our experience as educator interns at the Sea Turtle Center. Our precious coursemates and our wonderful professors alerted us that a loggerhead sea turtle came to the beach shore to nest. We jumped out of bed and literally ran down the beach to the only lights on the beach, the red lights of the beach patrol. After being let down with our beach patrol all night with no sites of a turtle, we could not believe that we were actually seeing “Taramie”-(loggerhead). To see it was truly a dream, after a week full of learning and hands-on activity, the nesting truly topped the cake! The precision of the flippers to cover her nest, and to rotate her body back towards the ocean was truly amazing. Hearing a pant never sounded so good! After all of the excitement, we returned to our rooms for a few hours of sleep!

We started the day teaching the general public the amazing adaptations of sea turtles. After giving examples of how the sea turtles carapace, beak, flippers, eyes, and more help them survive in their environment, we wowed the crowd with a chant. Give me a T-U-R-T-L-E what does that spell….turtle!  Feeling great after completing our last act at the Sea Turtle Center, we trekked over to view more of nature’s finest ecosystems. We had a nice walk in the maritime forest, which was led by 4-H educator Donna. We saw several different species, especially spiders and their webs and she even taught us a nice little jingle to help us remember lichens are both a fungi and an algae. After eating a filling lunch provided by the 4-H cooks, we went to the dock to catch the Eco and Dolphin tour. We saw several dolphins, an osprey, and different parts of the islands including Jekyll and St. Simons. Art was plastered in the Goodyear Museum in many different forms whether through paintings, jewelry, or ceramics.

Finally we went back to the hotel, and we took the post exam which covered turtles, ecosystems, tides, shells, and all other marine life. Little did we know what started out as what seemed to be a never ending week of being in the stick southern heat, turning 3 shades darker, scooping turtle poop, walking long distances, ducking webs turned out to be quite a learning experience. We actually got to see life in a different form. The entire Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Georgia Graves, 4-H, History/Trolley tours, Dr. Martha Schriver, Dr. Karen Chassereau, and many more you all really helped open my eyes to see Jekyll as more than Summer Waves. I never knew such a quaint town had so much history and life existing on it, and I honestly cannot wait to take the new information I learned and share my knowledge with my 8^th grade physical science students! Parting is such sweet sorrow, but we all must return to our own lives and see if we cannot help educate them about the wonders on Jekyll.”

We too were humbled by the experience and are honored for the opportunity to have worked with these talented individuals.  The GSTC anxiously awaits our July Teacher Workshop participant’s, whose journey begins this Saturday, July 10, 2010!

~Alicia Marin, GSTC Education Coordinator

Hey all,

My name is Mike and I am a new kid in turtle school!

Since graduating from Miami University with a degree in Zoology, I have started an eclectic collection of previous work experience. Last summer, I began to focus on a career in marine conservation.

This new career path has taken me from “Character Ambassadoring” with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to couch surfing through Washington, DC as I worked with Conservation International’s Sea Turtle Flagship Program. Most recently I have found myself on Jekyll Island and the fit is right. From sweet tea to sea turtles, I am excited for a fun-filled southern summer of learning and teaching guests to the GSTC about the 5 species of sea turtles that share our Georgia coast.

Check out this video PSA featuring Mr. Leatherback that I produced while Sea Turtle Interning at Conservation International reminding us all to use reusable bags when we shop:

Use Reusable Bags When You Shop!

Hope to see y’all at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center soon!

Mike D

Hey Everyone!

My name is Sarah and I’m also a new face here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

I’m attending Sewanee: The University of the South and I’m majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity and minoring in Business. I started my sea turtle journey almost three years ago during the GSTC’s opening season.

This will be my third summer working at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and I couldn’t be more excited! As a North Carolina native, I am right at home here on the Georgia Coast and ready to see where this summer takes me. While this will be my third summer working with sea turtles my other jobs have really run the gamut. Last summer I worked at a law firm doing paralegal work and I sold pies at a farmer’s market in New York City. This past year I worked in my alma mater, Emma Willard School’s business office conducting market research and writing a business plan for our school store.

So far at the center, I have been having a blast as a counselor at our Sea Turtle Camp! Parents & students: I urge you to look into this amazing opportunity for next summer!

Can’t wait to see you soon!

Sarah

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is proud to present our 2nd annual Sea Turtle Camp program!  We invite children ages 6 to 12 to join us for the ultimate camp experience as junior conservationists!  Come be a part of this unique program with fun-in-the-sun activities, sand adventures and unforgettable sea turtles!  You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the five species of local sea turtles, explore the coastal environment through dynamic activities and, of course, visit with our sea turtle patients!

This year we are hosting four weeks of Sea Turtle Camp!  See below for dates and times:

Week of                                 Ages                            Time

June 7 - 11                             10-12                          10:00am to 3:00pm

June 14 - 18                          6-9                               10:00am to 3:00pm

June 21 - 25                          10-12                          10:00am to 3:00pm

June 28 - July 2                    6-9                             10:00am to 3:00pm

Space is limited and reservations are required. You don’t want to miss it, so make your reservation now!

Please visit our Sea Turtle Camp website or contact Alicia Marin at (912) 635-4076 for more information .

~Alicia B. Marin, Education Coordinator

You may be aware that the GSTC Education Department provides outreach programs about sea turtles throughout the southeastern United States, but did you know that we travel to the Caribbean?!?! But of course - we are always up for an opportunity to spread the word about sea turtle conservation!  It was only 3 short years ago that Alicia Marin, now GSTC Education Coordinator, spent the summer working on the small island of Nevis, assisting the Nevis Turtle Group (NTG) with their sea turtle monitoring project.  When the NTG was approached by the Four Seasons resort with an interest in providing a sea turtle related activity for children, Alicia jumped at the chance to work with local children, and developed a Sea Turtle Camp on the spot!  The program was so successful (100 children graduated from Camp that summer), she continued to perfect the curriculum as her Master’s thesis at Duke University, which is currently pending publication.

Alicia and Sarah Eckert (former GSTC Educator) are spending 3 life changing weeks in the West Indies, assisting with Sea Turtle Camp, Caribbean style.  This past week we were on the island of St. Kitts and had the pleasure of working with local Kittian children, thanks to the generous support of the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network.  We offered 2, half day camps; 6-8 year olds in the morning and 13-16 year olds in the afternoon.  Each day the Campers focused on a particular aspect of sea turtle biology, conservation, and threats that they face.

We first began with an introduction to sea turtles, and learned about the Amazing Adaptations™ that sea turtles face. So OF COURSE we had to make our own shells and beaks!  The children had the opportunity to express their creativity while decorating their paper carapaces (top shell) and plastrons (bottom shell).  Thanks to the efforts of the in water tagging team, our older Campers were able to see a juvenile Hawksbill sea turtle!

No day is complete without snack, and our Campers were given only the best treats.  After learning about the nesting process, and how sea turtles are Egg-cellent Nest Protectors™, Campers became nesting females and buried their “eggs” (marshmallows) in their “nest” (pudding, graham crackers and whipped cream) to keep them safe.  The older Campers learned about natural and human associated threats through a bingo like game called T-H-R-E-A-T™.  Not only did the Campers learn a lot, but they had a blast!  Let’s be honest, you are never too old or too young for Bingo.

The Campers also learned how people of all ages can help sea turtles.  Our morning Campers, played a game of Garbage in the Water to show the effects of marine debris on sea turtles, and learned how long it takes for certain items to break down.  Dr. Kimberly Stewart then presented on the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network, and introduced opportunities for the older Campers to get involved.  This included creating beads from glass bottles that would have otherwise been discarded!  That’s right, glass bottles!  Andy, a sea turtle conservationist by day and stand up comic by night, did a mind blowing glass bead making demo for the Campers and Staff.  Each Camper (and even us!) had the chance to create a beautiful glass bead necklace. The St. Kitts Sea Turtle Project has conducted several workshops for local fisherman to encourage their participation in this glass bead initiative in which everyone benefits.  This program allows Kittians the chance to receive monetary compensation, glass to be recycled, and sea turtle projects to be supported. We even had at least one interested Camper! Wondering where you can purchase these unique glass beads?  Well, the GSTC of course! We are proud to sell these one of a kind glass bead necklaces and keychains in our gift shop, helping to support this wonderful program.

After only 4 short days it was apparent how much fun these Campers had and even more amazing was how much they learned.  This week was one to remember for a life time, and this is only the beginning of our Caribbean EXTREME Outreach.  This week we educated 25 children, but there’s more to come!  Be sure to check out the blog next week to learn about Sarah’s outreach adventures on St. Kitts, as she educates 9-12 year olds for round 2 of Sea Turtle Camp and Alicia’s outreach adventures on Nevis, as she assists Barbara Whitman with her Under the Sea Camp.

“Liming” in the Caribbean,

Alicia and Sarah

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!)

Today our Campers learned about the natural threats that sea turtles face, and just how tough it is to be a sea turtle.  They became Dune Detectives are we searched the beach for predator tracks.  They also saw 3 new sea turtle nests on the beach!  While sea turtles do not stay with their eggs and hatchlings, they have provided them with everything they need to survive; protection from the elements and/or predators, and a lunch already inside their bellys (nutrient rick yolk sack).  Campers became Egg-cellent Nest Protectors (nesting females) and learned how to bury their “eggs in the sand” through our edible nest game!  Look how much fun they had!

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