The Jekyll Island Authority is celebrating the two year anniversary of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and the 2009 sea turtle nesting season with a week-long series of family-fun activities. Advanced registration is required for some of the events and can be found at www.jekyllisland.com/nestfest.

Monday, June 8

Georgia Sea Turtle Center - Two Years Later and Beyond

5:30-7:00, Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Meet the staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for a private tour of the Center and a discussion with Dr. Terry Norton, Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, on success stories and accomplishments from the past two years plus their vision for the future.

FREE with paid admission to the Center. Reservations Required.

Tuesday, June 9

Turtles Are Not the Only Animals that Nest on Jekyll Island  - A discussion with Jim Gertis, Beekeeper, and Lydia Thompson, Birding Enthusiast.

5:30 - 7:00, Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Learn from Jim Gertis and Lydia Thompson about other animals that nest on Jekyll Island. Jim will give information on bee keeping and the natural benefits of honey. Lydia will speak on Wilson’s Plovers, savvy little birds that nest on Jekyll Island’s beaches and have a unique social structure.

FREE with paid admission to the Center. Reservations Required

Wednesday, June 10

Movie Night, Finding Nemo

7:00 PM  - 9:00 PM, Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Join staff from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for a movie night at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Bring you favorite sea life stuffed animal, blanket or sleeping bag, and watch this classic under-the-seas movie.

FREE. Reservations Required

Thursday, June 11

Beach Sweep

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Jekyll Island Beachdeck

Help us clean the Jekyll Island beach so that the sea turtles have pristine nesting grounds.

FREE

Friday, June 12

Breakfast with Scute and Pajama Tour

8:30 AM - 10:00 AM, Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Join the staff from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center along with Scute the Sea Turtle for a delicious breakfast and tour of the Center - in your pajamas! All kids are invited to wear their pajamas as they watch the turtles rise and shine for their day.

$11 per person. Includes admission to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Reservations Required.

Saturday, June 13

Nest Fest Party at the Beachdeck

12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM, Jekyll Island Beachdeck

Join the staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center for an afternoon of interactive educational activities, arts and crafts, and fun on the beach. Vendors and exhibitors from various organizations in the Brunswick-Golden Isles region will also be present with hands-on exhibits. Kids can test their skills in the always popular Turtle Crawl obstacle course. Plus, one or more of the rehabilitated patients from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will be released.

FREE

In addition to all these great activities, kids can visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and have their picture taken with Scute or vote on their favorite sea turtle patient to win Patient of the Year. Votes are accepted throughout the month of June. The winner will be announced online on July 2. For more information on any of these activities contact the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at 912-635-4444 or visit www.jekyllisland.com/nestfest. Be a fan of Nest Fest on Facebook.com.

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Tags: CNN, Dr. Terry Norton, georgia beaches, georgia sea turtles, jekyll island vacation, Reynolds Wolf, Sea Turtle Rehabilitation, sea turtles, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island
Posted in Diversions, In the News, Nature Connection | 2 Comments »

By Dr. Terry Norton, DVM

I am often asked: How many sea turtle rehabilitation centers are there in the southeastern US? How is the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) unique?

There are actually several facilities in Florida that do sea turtle rehabilitation, some focus solely on sea turtles, while some work with a variety of wildlife and captive animals. There are no other sea turtle rehabilitation centers in Georgia but one in South Carolina and North Carolina and a few more further north. The sea turtle rehabilitation community is very close and we often collaborate on a variety of levels.

Although there are many unique aspects of the GSTC including rehabilitation, education, research and training, the most unique feature of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center is our engaging education program. The entire staff educates the general public starting with our gift shop personnel, then the education area where educators and volunteers engage the public, then our treatment room window where our veterinary staff can talk and show people how we care for the turtles and deal their injuries, next to the pavilion where our educators and interns do patient updates and our visitors can read about and see our patients and learn about their problems. I am a veterinarian and a scientist. Until now my career has been focused on clinical medicine and surgery and publishing scientific manuscripts. The GSTC has allowed us to continue to do the veterinary care and science but to go a step further and actually educate children to adults from all walks of life. This has a huge conservation impact. The more people we engage in our work, the more things will change for the better. The driving force behind all of this excellent work is our educators and they should be commended for the fantastic programs they have created in just over one year. I am totally amazed how the GSTC has blossomed in so many ways. Alicia Marin heads our education program as the education coordinator. Kelly O’Keefe came to us with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Sarah Mathias was one of our first interns who we decided to employ as a permanent staff member. These three individuals have done so much to enhance our programs and mesh science and education. We have had numerous education interns train with us in our short existence. All of them have left with a new perspective on education and sea turtle conservation. The sea turtles that come through our doors are ambassadors of the marine ecosystem. A turtle that has severe propeller injuries and is being treated gives us the opportunity to explain the impact boat strikes have on sea turtles and other marine wildlife. This is how we can really make a difference. Please come visit the GSTC and support our staff and our overall vision.

Education Update

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center was full of holiday spirit last month, hosting two holiday events and attending the Brunswick Christmas Parade. On Wednesday December 3rd, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center hosted the Atlanta Southeast Airlines Santa’s Sleigh event. 30 children from the Atlanta area were flown down to the Brunswick Airport and then bused over to Jekyll Island for a field trip to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and our Amazing Adaptations program. After a trolley ride to the Convention Center, the group visited with Santa and were presented with Jekyll Island gift bags. Santa made another special appearance on Saturday December 20th for our 2nd Annual SEA-sons Greetings Event. The children each received a mini sea turtle toy from Santa himself, and listened to a special Georgia Sea Turtle Center-inspired version of “Twas the Night before Christmas.”

Tags: , Dylan the Sea Turtle, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, georgia sea turtles, jekyll island nature, jekyll island sea turtles, marine ecosystem, sea turtle education, sea turtle hospital, sea turtles, south east sea turtles, turtle rehabilitation, turtle science
Posted in January/February 2009 | No Comments »