Phil, a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley turtle, swam out to deep water Friday, August 27, 2010. It was found with a fishing line wound around its neck. After a rehabilitative stay at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Phil was ready to be released. AmeriCorps members who will finish their work on the end of the month celebrated its swimming away.
Phil’s Release video (click here)
We here at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center spend a lot of time working with and talking about the most common sea turtle in Georgia; the loggerhead sea turtle. However, at this months lecture series, we’d like to introduce you to a different kind of loggerhead.
The loggerhead shrike is a unique bird that can be found right here in the Golden Isles! Listed as a species of special concern, this exciting and intense creature is on the decline. Join us at the Brunswick/Glynn County Library this Thursday August 12th at 7:00 p.m. The speaker will be local educator, researcher, and shrike enthusiast Jonathan Gray. Jonathan received his masters in Natural Resources from the University of Georgia and has researched shrikes all across the state. Come learn all about this unique bird, why it’s on the decline, and why you should care.
What: August Lecture Series
When: Thursday August 12th, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: Brunswick/Glynn County Library
As the seasons shift and we move into Spring on the Island we wanted to share some new and exciting gifts we have received in the gift shop. We want to focus on one of our Pottery enthusiasts by the name of Rod Jackson. Rod received his PhD from the University of Texas in 1975 and worked for Coastal Zone Management for the State of Texas and also served as a private consultant for 5 years. He then accepted a job with the Federal Government, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in Alaska. Afterward he relocated to Asheville, North Carolina where he makes magic. As you will read below he loves Sea Turtles and pottery so he has managed to blend both of these fascinating worlds into one. Please come visit our gift shop to see all the different styles he has produces for us. We carry bowls, platters and mugs in all sizes, colors and shapes. (CLICK HERE for JPG)
Thank you,
Peggy Van Buren
Gift Shop Coordinator
912-635-4444
Top: Adult Male. Bottom: Adult Female
Terrapin Time:
This is the first installment of “Terrapin Time” a frequent update on how things are going on the causeway with the Terrapin nesting season, and anything interesting that might occur.
The season first kicked off with a wet and muddy start when a team from UGA and the Savannah River Ecology Lab comprised of 2 professors, 2 grad students, and a bunch of their friends/classmates came down April 29th -May 1st and joined forces with teams from the Center to seine three creeks for Terrapins.
In the three days we managed to capture 130 Terrapins total, 10 recaptured from previous studies or this trip, 102 males, and 28 Females. 8 Females were outfitted with radio transmitters and will be tracked during the season.
Despite being cut up by oyster shells, rammed into by fish, shrimp, and who knows what, pinched by crabs, and often stuck in the deep marsh mud. Everyone had a great time.
Stay tuned for more installments of Terrapin Time.
Cheers
Simon Dilts
AmeriCorps DBT member
The turtle patrol team awoke at 6am on May 3rd, to do their regularly scheduled dawn patrol of Jekyll’s beach. It was a beautiful day and we arrived at Driftwood at 7am. It felt like an ordinary Monday, but we soon found it was not so ordinary. We found a cold and lonely fawn whom needed a friend and a jacket. We quickly covered the cold fawn with a GSTC jacket and called JIA to help save the little fella from the clutches of cold weather.
We continued on our journey and headed south when suddenly a distant indentation in the sand caught our eyes. It was the first track of the season… and it belonged to a leatherback! We immediately stopped the vehicle to investigate. We followed the track beginning at the high tide line, went in a few circles, and eventually came to the nest near the Brice street beach access point. We were overcome with joy as we had found Georgia’s first nest of the season!
She had laid her nest in a poor location, along the rock wall, so it was necessary to relocate it in order to prevent it from being inundated and possibly washed out. We called our faithful leader, Ms. Stefanie Ouellette, and she immediately came down to assist. The patrol team relocated the nest to a more suitable location farther south to protect the (hopefully) soon-to-be hatchlings.
While that has been our only nest so far, we wish the nest a successful 70-90 day incubation period and are looking forward to the rest of the season.
Thanks for Reading,
The 2010 patrol team
Integrating the natural world into elementary school curriculum can be a daunting task. That’s why the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is having its first Professional Learning Unit Course Sea Turtle School: Incorporating the Wet & Wild into the Classroom! The course, although open to all, was designed to provide information and lesson plan ideas for Georgia Educators in Kindergarten through 5th grade that are correlated to the Georgia Performance standards. Teachers will become familiar with ocean habitats, turtles, and conservation in order to convey a greater appreciation and understanding of sea turtles, and their marine ecosystem.
Participants in this workshop will gain background knowledge about sea turtle species, their respective biology, conservation, and the threats that they face. They will also learn about conservation of other threatened reptilian species, specifically the gopher tortoise and the diamondback terrapin. In addition, participants will see how the Georgia Sea Turtle Center works to minimize effects humans have on sea turtles, gopher tortoises, and diamondback terrapins by providing the animals with rehabilitative care and providing the community with conservation education. Throughout the course, participants will learn how to plan and implement instructional lessons about sea turtles and other marine wildlife. This course will also demonstrate how teachers can encourage students to take an active role in conservation at home and in the classroom.
Sea Turtle School: Incorporating the Wet & Wild into the Classroom, will be held July 16th & 17th, at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The cost of the course is $70. Teachers can download, print, and fax in their registration forms.
For registration forms and more information visit http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org/education-programs/teacher-professional-development
If you have any difficulty viewing any item on the page, you may want to try using a different internet browser. You may also request more information by contacting Renee at 912.635.4076
Hope to see you there!
~Renee
AmeriCorp Education Member
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the students of Woodward Academy. These bright young minds had a strong passion for the marine environment even though they live hours from the nearest ocean.
Each year the school located in College Park, GA, uses earth day as a great fund raising opportunity for earth friendly organizations. This year they decided to send their funds to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center! The students and teachers sold t-shirts with the GSTC logo labeled Woodward Academy Earth Day 2010. When we heard of their efforts we were quite amazed to say the least. When we heard the amount, we were blown away! The students and teachers raised $2,200 for the Sea Turtle Center! In an effort to show them exactly what their money was going towards, I stopped by to tell the stories of many of our current patients!
Most of the students had on their Georgia Sea Turtle Center attire as they entered the gymnasium ready to learn. I couldn’t help but smile as I saw the results of all their hard work. As I started the presentation it became clear that these future leaders genuinely cared for their environment. They had so many excellent questions about the Center and our patients that I was unable to answer them all! As the students filed out of the gymnasium, several more came up wanting to know more and more. Leaving the school that day I couldn’t help but feel confident about our mission at the GSTC.
I’m confident the passion for the environment the children of woodward showed that day will be felt in the Atlanta area. It’s great to know that even hours away, we at the GSTC have such great sea turtle ambassadors!
Thank you Woodward Academy!
Teddy Ivey, Educator
It’s hard to believe, but nesting season is almost here! One of our many exciting summer programs will help you to understand the wonder that is loggerhead sea turtle nesting. To make things a little easier, I’ll explain the who, what, when, where, and why of turtle walks.
What: During a turtle walk we take a group of no more than 25 individuals out onto the beach following a 30 minute power point presentation. We will look for shells, discuss the ecology of the island, and do a few fun activities while looking for our nesting females. While we can’t gaurantee we’ll find a turtle, we’ll do our best!
Who: You will be guided by one of our trained staff or volunteers who are all excited to share their knowledge with each of you! Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and all children must be at least 4 years old to attend.
When: Turtle walks will begin June 1st and run every night until July 31st. We will not have walks on July 4th as the island has many other events you will want to attend! Each night there will be two walks. The first will begin at 8:30 p.m. and the second at 9:30 p.m. Each walk will last somewhere between 1 hr and 30 min - 2 hours. Reservations are required.
Where: You walk will begin at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for a 30 minute power point presentation on Georgia’s Sea Turtles. From there you will take your own car to one of Jekyll’s beaches to begin your walk.
Why: Because they are fun, educational, and memorable! Even if we are unable to find a nesting female during your walk, you will hopefully still learn a lot about the fragile Georgia coast. And afterward, you will know the proper way to come across turtles at night!
Cost:
$12/person (non-member price)
$6/person (member price)
**Price does not include general admission to the GSTC**
Please call 912-635-4444 to make a reservation
Some of you might recognize me from before as a Sea Turtle Patrol Intern during the 2008 or 2009 nesting season. I am happy to be back at the GSTC again, this time as the Diamondback Terrapin AmeriCorps Member.
My name is Simon Dilts and I received my B.S. in Organismal Biology from Adams State College. I also have some training in wildlife photography/videography (including working 6 months in South Africa for a Wildlife TV station).
Interning with the Center previously is what introduced me to Terrapins and just like being introduced to Sea Turtles I fell in love with them too.
I am looking forward to learning more about Terrapins and being out on the causeway helping the nesting females.
If you would like to learn more about Terrapins yourself stop on by the center where you can see some hatchlings as well as adults. Or stop by at the Brunswick/Glynn County Library May 13th at 7:00pm for our monthly Lecture Series with the topic being Diamondback Terrapins.
Cheers
Simon 
That’s right! Kera & Mr. Hyde, 2 juvenile loggerhead sea turtles afflicted by cold stunning during this past winter are going to be released!
KERA
MR. HYDE
First, a little background…..
Both Kera and Mr. Hyde (along with a 3rd turtle, Rostrum) were found in North Carolina. All three (along with many others) were diagnosed as ‘cold stunned’. What is cold stunned you ask? Since sea turtles are ectothermic (aka ‘cold blooded’), their body temperature adapts to their surrounding environment. If it gets too cold, their body shuts down. Eventually they cannot move their flippers, which means they can’t dive, which means they can’t eat. Essentially, they begin to freeze….think of it like a human who gets hypothermia. Kera and Mr. Hyde were originally treated at the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail, N.C., but because they were overrun by all the cold-stunned turtles and had run out of space, they asked if we could take a few off their hands.
Once they arrived at the GSTC, we proceeded to give them an exam to determine treatment. Kera, short for ‘Keratin’, had a lot o keratin missing from her carapace (keratin makes up the scutes that cover her shell). Mr. Hyde, on the other hand, defecated a pink balloon! More proof that balloons and other trash pollution are harmful to sea turtles, as well as other marine life.
MR. HYDE
KERA
Both turtles received a final exam on Friday, April 16, 2010 and passed with flying colors! Both also received a PIT tag, flipper tags and a satellite transmitter. These transmitters (from Wildlife Computers) are different than the ones we typically use (from Telonics). They are smaller and lighter, more suitable for smaller turtles like Kera and Mr. Hyde. Battery power may not be as long, however. We’ll just have to see how they do!
Now that you’ve been briefed, let’s get to the details of the release:
When: Saturday, April 24, 2010
Where: Tybee Island, GA (CLICK HERE for directions)
Time: following the end of the 5K run/walk; approximately 10am
*Please note that all releases are tentative and subject to change (date, time and/or location) in the best interest of the turtle(s).
This release is occurring in collaboration with the Tybee Island Marine Science Center. Every year they host a 5K run/walk fundraiser called Turtle Trot. Funds raised benefit the Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project. Last year we released Blizzard, Snowball and Chilly Willy at this event, and it was a HUGE success!
We hope you will join us in saying goodbye to Kera and Mr. Hyde!
Sincerely,
Stefanie Ouellette
Marine Field Programs Coordinator
