Jekyll Island’s Essence is Unleashed!
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Jekyll Island Authority is a proud participant in the Humane Society of South Coastal Georgia’s “Coastal Dawgs Unleashed” art fundraiser. The Humane Society’s goal is to raise $200,000, to support the shelter’s daily operational expenses and the capital campaign to build a new shelter by recruiting thirty-area businesses to sponsor Dawgs. Talented artists from the Jekyll Island Arts Association will paint our 4-foot-tall fiberglass bulldog named “Essence” to represent all the wonderful things about Jekyll Island. The dog will be worked on from November – March were final touches will be done live at the Jekyll Island Arts Association’s Art Festival.
Marine debris and derelict fishing gear have severely negative impacts on sea turtles and other wildlife, locally and throughout the world. Recently, I assisted in a Northern Right whale disentanglement effort. Right whales spend the winter months in Georgia and northeast Florida waters. In the wild, only 300 of these amazing creatures remain. Many become entangled in fishing gear where they reside in northeastern Atlantic waters. This particular whale had become entangled in derelict lobster pot gear wrapped around its head and mouth. The ropes were embedded very deep into the skin. Two days of intense efforts by a number of experts have been unsuccessful in removing the entangled gear and the whale’s survival depends on it’s removal. This amazing disentanglement team consisting of several individuals, including three local GADNR staff, will continue the gear removal efforts. Like the Northern Right whale, Leatherback sea turtles become entangled in lobster pot gear and the outcome is often fatal. Another example of fishing gear that has huge impacts on a population level is crab traps and their effect on diamondback terrapins. Traps are often abandoned and left in marsh waters where diamondback terrapins reside.
Baited with fish, the traps become a significant threat to foraging diamondback terrapins that find their way into the traps and drown. A simple clip, known as a Terrapin Excluder Device, helps keep these terrapins out of crab traps and part of a viable population. Our colleagues at the University of Georgia recovered a trap in a coastal Georgia creek containing 90 drowned terrapins. This is only one trap and there are thousands more out there.
Jekyll Island volunteer citizens have teamed up to coordinate the first annual Easter Egg Stroll on April 11. The Stroll is a laid back alternative to the Easter Egg Hunt and Easter Festival previously held. It is geared toward young children ages 6 and under. All eggs will be numbered and will have to be redeemed for prizes at the Easter Egg Stroll Information Booth located near the Sweet Shoppe. One unspecified number will merit a grand prize. There will be 12 of these lucky grand prize eggs hidden. Otherwise small prizes will be awarded based on the number of eggs found, with a limit of 20 per child. Once the eggs are redeemed for prizes, they will be re-hidden for other children to find throughout the afternoon. The event is free; for more information, contact the Jekyll Island Visitor Information Center at (912) 635-3636.