In honor of our two year anniversary in June, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jekyll Island are celebrating with an entire week of fun-filled events!  Nest Fest 2009 festivities kick-off Monday, June 8^th and continue throughout the week with our finale party on Saturday, June 13^th. 

Join us Monday evening at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for a discussion with Director and Veterinarian, Dr. Terry Norton. From 5:30-7:00 pm, hear about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center-Two Years Later and Beyond; what we’ve accomplished since opening our doors and how we’re forging ahead with future plans. Free with paid admission to the center. Reservations required. 

Come back Tuesday evening, same time, same place for Turtles Are Not the Only Nesters on Jekyll Island. Island resident beekeeper Jim Gertis will talk about the benefits of honey followed by Lydia Thompson, Chief Naturalist for Wild Birds Unlimited, and her focus on Jekyll’s nesting colony of Wilson’s Plovers.  Free with paid admission to the center. Reservations required. 

Bring the kids Wednesday evening from 7:00-9:00 for GSTC Movie Night featuring Finding Nemo. Don’t forget your favorite pillow and blanket for this under-the-sea flick! Free with paid admission to the center. Reservations required. 

Help us clean up Jekyll’s beach as sea turtle nesting season is underway! Meet at the Beackdeck at 10:00 am for a Beach Sweep. No need to register, just bring yourself! 

Enjoy Breakfast with Scute and Pajama Tour Thursday morning at 8:30-10 am. Bring the whole family for a catered breakfast on the lawn of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and a visit from Scute, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Mascot! All kids are encouraged to wear their pajamas for an early morning visit the sea turtles! $11 per person, includes breakfast and admission to the Center. Reservations required. 

For the grand finale, head to the Nest Fest Party at the Beachdeck on Saturday, June 13 for sun, sand and a sea turtle release! Join the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Staff and local organizations from 12-4pm for interactive educational activities, arts and crafts, and the Kid’s Turtle Crawl!

Check out www.jekyllisland.com/nestfest for complete event details, schedules and registration information!

~Kelly O’Keefe, Educator

All CREATURES Great & Small…come to the Blessing & Parade of Animals THIS SATURDAY, Apri 4!  2, 4 & no legged creatures WELCOME!!!

The event will take place at the Historic Jekyll Island Circle of Oakes. 10am=Blessing and 11am=Parade.  Here’s a program of events and attendees:

• Celebration Gran Marshall & Master of Ceremonies
• Therapy Dogs of Glynn Cooridinator–Hank Fahl
• Canie Corp Host & Hostesses with Glynn County Trainer–Officer Brian Falk
• Jekyll Island Fire Truck for Critter & Human Water–Captain Dave Smith & Staff
• Glynn County Animal Services–Director Beverly Morris
• Fun - Fun - Fun
• PRIZES for Best Dressed Critter!
• Gathering MUSIC - M U S I C !
• Jekyll & Glynn Clergy

Event sponsored by WeDo Animal CARE & Therapy Dogs of Glynn.  Please call 912-634-9527 for questions/information.

Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator

Jekyll Island is slowly coming back to life after a long, sleepy winter. If you’ve got Spring fever like we do, mark your calendar for Saturday, April 18 from 10am to 4pm.  You’ll want to join us for the Jekyll Island Mother Nature Festival at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center!

In 2008, the GSTC debuted it’s first annual Shell-e-brate Earth Day family festival. Over 550 people took part in the green shell-e-bration.  This year, it has blossomed into an island-wide event! Join us for a day of eco-fun and earth friendliness as we create recycled crafts like Styrofoam plate press animal art, make your own handmade paper, decorate a recycled sea turtle journal or color a wearable paper bag carapace. Taste a yummy dirt cup creation, visit with diamondback terrapin hatchlings and have your photo taken with Scute, the Loggerhead sea turtle mascot!  And be sure to visit our vendor expo featuring organizations with earth-friendly creations, products and services.

But who says that kids have to have all the fun? The week of April 13^th -17^th, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will be hosting its Citizen Science Workshop & Lecture series.  Five guest speakers will present on topics ranging from honeybees & vermicomposting to organic gardening & cooking. Also, new for 2009 is our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Regift silent auction! Gifted but never used nature-themed items will go home with the highest bidder the day of the event. All proceeds go to benefit continuing efforts of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Have something you’d like to donate? Click here to download the auction donation form.

Several outdoor excursions and activities will be taking place around Jekyll Island, including kite demonstrations, a fishing derby at Rixen pond, bicycle rentals, horseback riding and eco-tours with Captain Phillip. Check out www.jekyllisland.com/mothernaturefestival for a complete listing and excursion reservations.

Sea you there!

~Kelly O’Keefe, Educator

I know, I know! It’s a little late to be talking about Halloween festivities, but right around the time of Turtleween, we revamped our website and blog, and….well….we never shared the success of the event with you! Not to mention the non-scary Turtleween fun that was had by all. So even though it’s 2009 and you’ve already read about Santa’s visit with the sea turtles, let’s revisit October 2008!

Our 2^nd annual Turtleween marked the first repeat event for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center! We hosted many of the same activities as our pilot event in 2007 and added several new creations just for fun. Festival goers created one-of-a-kind milkshakes at Griffin’s Medication Station and visited our Sea Turtle Sea-metery under the Jellyfish Forest to learn about passed patients. And what would be a GSTC event without recycled crafts?! Make & take fossils were crafted from used coffee grounds (courtesy of Starbucks at Altama) and each guest chose their favorite color to make a sea turtle shaped crayon at our recycled crayon laboratory!

A great time was had by all! A huge thanks goes out to our staff and volunteers-we couldn’t have done it without you!

~Kelly O’Keefe, Educator & Event Architecht

The Jekyll Island Christmas Tree Lighting Festival took place on November 29, 2008 in the beautiful historic district. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center had the privilege of participating in this magnificent event. Members of the GSTC staff took the stage around 6:00 p.m. to present “Scute’s Christmas Adventure!” Scute is the GSTC mascot and has been brought to life by the education staff in “Scute’s Ocean Adventure.” Several members of the education staff helped to write a Christmas version of this production for this special holiday season. It was presented to the hundreds of individuals at the festival with many excited children sitting in the front row.

"Scute's Christmas Adventure" characters Stan and Sylvie the sharks, Scute the loggerhead sea turtle, and Sarah Eckert as the narrator.

The GSTC also had an educational booth at the festival with specimens for the public to view as well as a chance for everyone to make their very own sea turtle Christmas ornament! Staff and volunteers shared sea turtle conservation knowledge with many curious onlookers.

Volunteer Lorraine Boyett talks with visitors about the plight of the sea turtle.

If you are interested in seeing “Scutes Christmas Adventure,” swing by the center any Saturday during the month of December at 1:30 p.m. After the puppet show, you can even color your very own sea turtle Christmas tree ornament!

And don’t forget, Santa will be visiting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center December 20th from 12:00-3:00 p.m. Bring the family for fun with Santa plus a very special Georgia Sea Turtle Center story! SEA you there!!

~ Teddy Ivey, Education Intern