So you want to be a rehabilitation technician or a hospital coordinator? It sounds so glamorous. Well, it is very rewarding to work directly with and help sea turtles and every day there is something new to learn. In reality, many tasks are repetitive- scrubbing tanks, cleaning feces out of the water, doing water changes, chopping fish and other food items, and lifting heavy objects are all part of a technician’s day. However, it is important for our staff to take advantage of this intense labor to put their observation skills to work. There are many subtle signs that may indicate a turtle is getting better or worse-their level of activity, appetite, defecation, fecal observation, etc. Each turtle has its own personality and when you work with them everyday, you begin to see subtleties that may otherwise go unrecognized.
Multi-tasking is a key skill that must be mastered when working as a member of the animal care team. It is possible that in just one day on the job, one person may clean tanks, perform blood work, fecal exams, x-rays, anesthesia, assist in surgery, train volunteers, talk to the public about what we do, chop fish and prepare various diets, tube feed a turtle, repair a filtration system, back wash and do a major water change on a tank, mix artificial salt water, perform water quality tests, clean instruments, wrap surgery packs, order supplies, write an article, check emails, hold a turtle for treatment, give an injection, clean a wound, admit a new patient and go to a meeting. Lunch may not be on the agenda. This often ends up as a 12 hour work day.

So who are these crazy people? Erika, Michelle, Jeannie, Amy, and Rachel, that’s who! There are also a whole host of amazing volunteers but that story is for another day. Erika Kemler is our hospital coordinator. She ensures that everything functions properly from treatments to keeping the hospital organized to making sure we have all the supplies we need to assisting in anesthesia and surgery to maintaining all the medical equipment. The list goes on and on. Erika assists in all aspects of husbandry as well. Michelle is our tank and filtration specialist. We depend on her tremendously for her knowledge in this area, as well as all aspects of our operation from husbandry, veterinary care, and interacting with the public. Jeannie is our commissary queen. She is in charge of ensuring all patient diets are correct and fish and other food items are of the highest quality and fully stocked. Like the other staff, Jeannie is involved with all aspects of husbandry and veterinary care. Amy is the new kid on the block, but no less important than the others. She is a very fast learner and will eventually be involved in all aspects of husbandry and veterinary care. Rachel is our current husbandry intern. Although, the focus of this internship is husbandry (feeding, cleaning, observations, tank and filtration maintenance, etc), there are opportunities to be involved in the entire operation.

It has been a true pleasure to see our program blossom to what it is today. These women are great at what they do and the reason for our success. The energy that you feel and see when you are working them is infectious. I truly could not ask for a better team. They are amazing. Come to the Center and see for yourself.

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