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.

Tags: Georgia Sea Turtle Center, georgia sea turtles, green sea turtles, jekyll island beach, jekyll island beachdeck, Jekyll Island Events, jekyll island hotels, jekyll island sea turtles, Jekyll Island vacations, kemps ridley sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, Nest Fest, sea turtle nesting, sea turtle nests, terrapin turtles, turtle conservation
Posted in Festivalgoer | No Comments »

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center would like to announce their new hours for Spring 2009 through Winter 2010.

April 09-Nov 09:
Monday 10am-2pm
Tues-Sun 9am-5pm

Dec 09-Feb 10
Monday CLOSED
Tues-Sun 9am-5pm

Holidays:
Thanksgiving Day: 10am-2pm
Christmas Eve Day: CLOSED
Christmas Day: CLOSED
New Year’s Day: CLOSED

Tags: Georgia Museums, jekyll island sea turtles, Jekyll Island vacations, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island
Posted in Press Releases | No 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 »

Adopt a Turtle

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is proud to announce the long awaited Adopt-a-Turtle Program! With your donation of $50 or more, you can adopt one of our sea turtle patients. Current patients and already released patients with satellite transmitters are eligible for adoption.
When adopting a turtle, you will receive an official certificate of adoption, a letter from your sea turtle, a 5 x 7 photo of your sea turtle, weekly updates from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and you name will appear as an adoptive parent on the Georgia Sea Turtle Center website. If you chose to adopt a current patient, you also have the opportunity to be a VIP at the release of you adopted turtle!

Focus Groups

Focus Classes will be offered monthly and typically held on 4th Tuesday of every month at 7pm, with a few exceptions, in the classroom. ALL volunteers are welcomed! March’s Focus Class will be on Monday, March, 24 at 7pm in the Classroom and will be conducted by Dr. Bill Irwin, Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. He will be discussing the migration and navigation of sea turtles.

Join us for Turtle Tales

Turtle Tales has moved! We now offer this program on Saturdays at 10:30am and is FREE with general admission! There are so many books about sea turtles, it’s hard to choose! Our Turtle Tales program will introduce you to the many children’s books about sea turtles. This program involves a turtle-inspired book reading and craft for children of all ages. There will be a different book and craft each month.

Behind the Scenes

Ever wonder what it feels like to be on the other side of the Treatment Window? Wish you could get a closer look at the patients, off of the pavilion walkway? You’re in luck. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is pleased to offer behind-the-scenes tours. Guests will visit
food preparation areas, animal holding areas, and the treatment, X-ray and Surgery Rooms. Come join us for a closer look at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center from the other side of the Treatment Window. Tours are conducted on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 P.M. and are offered on a first come first served basis,–Reservations are required. Call early or sign up in the Gift Shop- Group size is limited to 10 guests. (912-635-4444) Cost: $25/Adults - $15/Children (Must be at least 10 years of age). Price includes admission.

Educating at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center

School group attendance started to pick up in February, as anticipated, with approximately 200 students visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in February! We took our ‘show on the road’ to Oglethorpe Elementary for an Outreach program for 200 1st and 2nd graders as a part of Georgia History Day! In February, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Education Team has been attending numerous educational conferences throughout the state of Georgia, including the Georgia Science Teachers Association and the Georgia Middle School Convention, with more to come in March though July! In addition to making oral presentations at these conferences, they also host educational exhibits and pass out information about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

An Update on our New Patients!

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is very excited to share our news of Griffin! Griffin is a loggerhead sea turtle from the Daytona area that has been with us since mid November of 2007. He was not eating for a long time and had to be tube fed twice a day for several months. Just recently he has started to show interest in eating on his own and that soon developed into him eating on his own regularly! He is more active now than ever before, but he is still not as active as a healthy loggerhead and continues to float (not able to submerge).
We are no longer tube feeding him and he is off of most medications at this point. Several of our Kemp’s ridley sea turtles have lesions developing on the bridge of their shell (the area where the carapace meets with the plastron). We are looking at using antibiotic impregnated beads to slowly release antibiotics to the areas mentioned over time. Otherwise these young turtles are doing well – everyone is eating well and gaining weight normally. You may see some pvc objects in the tanks of the turtles – these objects act as enrichment items or something for the turtles to interact with, rub up against to scratch their shells, and snuggle up under when they want to rest. These objects promote natural behaviors and provide stimulation. Vida and Spitfire, both loggerhead sea turtles, are scheduled for release this spring or summer, depending on the water temperatures. Dylan is also scheduled to be released this spring, so come and see these turtles before they are fixed with a transmitter and released for a second chance at life! We have a new patient who was hit by a car
recently in nearby Brunswick. This animal’s name is Pleb, he is a common snapping turtle. He is not a sea turtle but a local wild turtle in need of veterinary care. He has a significant fracture along his carapace and is being treated daily at the center. He has some infection present and may be a great candidate for vacuum assisted wound therapy to help speed up the healing time. Common snapping turtles live in fresh water and are mostly aquatic, preferring to stay under water as much as possible. Please always be careful when driving on roads near suitable turtle habitat!

Tags: April 2008 Jekyll Island Beachscape, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, jekyll island sea turtles, sea turtle update
Posted in April 2008, Beachscape | 5 Comments »