Author: Matthew Humphrey

By Rob Mahon, GSTC General Manager

& Michelle Kaylor, GSTC Rehabilitation Manager

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) has reopened its doors to the public! The past few months have been unexpected and unprecedented around the world. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center was closed for nearly 2 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but then reopened on May 15 under limited capacity with increased sanitation protocols. Please visit the GSTC website for details on these enhanced safety measures.

The staff at the GSTC are excited to welcome back visitors and have already educated a number of guests looking to learn about sea turtles, other turtle species, and the GSTC conservation mission of EDUCATION, REHABILITATION, & RESEARCH.  In addition to the daily programs that guests will still experience when visiting the Center, turtle walks are also still available to be scheduled. 

Diamondback Terrapin (DBT) nesting season is half-way complete and has already surpassed GSTC historical records. DBT team members have encountered 534 individual DBTs on the causeway thus far and are fast approaching the 2015 season record of 520 individuals.

In the hospital, 10 adult female terrapins are being cared for due to car incursion, and the incubators are at capacity, warming and growing 217 DBT eggs, some of which are beginning to hatch after their 45-day incubation period. One adult DBT female – named KIA – has been released so far this season.  She was hit by a car, brought into the hospital, rehabilitated, and was ready to go!

The 2020 Diamondback Terrapin Road Season could not have been successful without the support from the Jekyll Island Foundation and its donors.  To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, text GiveJekyll + $ amount to (844) 889-2692 and follow the prompts, or visit the Jekyll Island E-commerce store. 

By Alexa Orndoff

Director, JIA Marketing & Communications

There’s no better feeling than passing through those historic gates, making your way down the causeway, and entering this special place. The feeling can’t be replicated and sometimes, it’s even hard to articulate. It’s unmatched by memories and photographs. A simple souvenir can’t replace the experience, but it often serves as a wonderful reminder. It might even inspire you to give back as a way to stay connected. With the redesign of our new Jekyll Island online retail store staying connected is now that much more accessible.

Launched in July, the Jekyll Island e-commerce shop offers an expansive collection of merchandise and memorabilia, some of which was only previously available in on-island gift shops. Visitors can find vintage-inspired t-shirts, highly sought-after island treasures, and even the heavily requested Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) front license plate. From symbolic sea turtle adoptions to annual memberships to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the revamped online store is modern and clean, with a focus on intuitive navigation, allowing visitors to both find what their looking for and discover recommendations for popular items, including ways to give back.

And, speaking of giving back, if after your relaxing trip to Jekyll Island you feel inspired to get involved, the Jekyll Island Foundation is the answer. Visit their website to GIVE NOW, Become a Member, honor family or friends with a Tribute Gift, or support your favorite cause – CONSERVATION – HISTORIC PRESERVATION/MOSAIC MUSEUM – GSTC. Your partnership directly impacts the work of the Foundation and its efforts to keep the history, natural beauty and character of Jekyll Island alive.

By Jamie Clayton

GSTC AmeriCorps/Volunteer Program Manager

Since 2009, the Jekyll Island Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) and Conservation department have had one of the most innovative AmeriCorps programs in the United States. The AmeriCorps GSTC program members contribute to rehabilitation, research and education to conserve sea turtles. They also promote environmental stewardship through providing visitors and members a deeper understanding of conservation, their roles in the ecosystem, and actions they can take to make a difference. Members experience significant personal and professional growth thanks to the advanced instruction and training combined with meaningful service gained from unique extracurricular opportunities that come from living with a diverse member cohort on Jekyll Island.

In its 11-year history, AmeriCorps GSTC members have come from 40 of the 50 states, totaling 197 service members.  Of those, 53 members have served multiple terms of service.  Repeat terms of service has proven the program provides an exceptional experience to its members.

Further, the AmeriCorps GSTC program works to follow-up with its service members after leaving their final terms of service.  Currently, 38 alumni are attending graduate school/have graduated, including 1 who is pursuing a doctoral degree (PhD). Another alumni completed their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and is now working on post doctorate training in wildlife medicine. Additionally, 78 alumni are working in conservation, veterinary medicine, education or science careers following their service with the GSTC.

Occasionally, an alumni’s career will bring him or her back to Jekyll Island.  The Wildlife Manager for Jekyll Island Authority is an alumni who is a two-tour U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was named a Tillman Fellow by the Pat Tillman Foundation due in part to the skills gained at the GSTC, has completed a Master of Science (MS) degree, and was recognized by the Georgia State Commissioner at the AmeriCorps 20^th Anniversary celebration last year.

In the summer of 2019, AmeriCorps members (ACM) were recognized in three The Brunswick News articles highlighting the conservation, research, education and rehabilitation departments.  AmeriCorps has existed for over 25 years, with the AmeriCorps GSTC program having been partnered for 11. The GSTC looks to the future for continued partnered for many years to come.

The AmeriCorps GSTC program could not be successful without the support from YOU, the Jekyll Island Foundation’s donors.  To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center text GiveJekyll + $ amount to (844) 889-2692. 

By Alexa Orndoff

JIA Director of Marketing & Communications

With nearly two years of evaluating and planning, alongside intensive testing and quality assurance phases, a new gate entry system is now in operation on Jekyll Island. Featuring intuitive touch screens and informative visual displays, the system is designed to make trips onto the island more efficient and convenient for visitors, residents, employees of island businesses, and service providers. In addition to the new technology deployed at the entry gates, an enhanced online portal has been launched to improve the process for annual pass purchases and renewals and allow for single or multi-day passes to be purchased in advance of arrival.

“People frequently tell us they feel a sense of calm when they turn onto the causeway, knowing they will soon be on Jekyll Island,” said Jerod Myers, Guest Information Center Manager. “In that spirit, the new system is designed to be even more user-friendly and predictable for everyone, whether they are coming for a visit or coming home.”

Overhead digital display screens offer advisory messages based on gate traffic, including identifying which lane is designated for annual pass members. Additional displays located in the causeway median prompt when drivers should stop or proceed, maintaining ideal spacing between vehicles and ensuring traffic approaching the gates flows smoothly. Durable foam gate arms with faster response times also reduced delays for motorists entering the island.

Using improved payment kiosks, guests can tailor multi-day purchases that fit their travel plans. License plate recognition cameras identify vehicles for which annual passes have been purchased, eliminating the need for windshield-mounted decals or prox cards. The cameras will also serve additional security and safety operations.

With the new entry gate system fully operational, the Jekyll Island Authority can more accurately calculate the number of vehicles on the island, providing valuable information that can be used in planning and allocation of island resources. The need for better entry gate data collection was identified in the Jekyll Island Carrying Capacity and Infrastructure Study. Completed in 2018, it is used to determine the number of people, vehicles, and development that the island can accommodate while still maintaining its unique character.

By Andrea Marroquin

JIA Museum Curator

This year marks the 100^th Anniversary of the passage of the 19^th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s right to vote. Many Jekyll Island Club families were actively engaged in leading the fight for women’s suffrage. The Jekyll Island Club’s prominent suffragists and suffragettes included Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, Julia Langdon Barber, Katherine Dexter McCormick, and Narcissa and Frank Vanderlip. These men and women marched in parades, organized petitions, spoke at rallies, donated funds, and hosted teas in support of women’s right to vote. 

As leaders of such organizations as the Political Equality League, the National American Woman Suffrage Association, the National Women’s Party, and the League of Women Voters, these socially prominent men and women added their celebrity, connections, wealth, and influence to attract attention and support for the women’s suffrage movement. With help from their efforts, the women’s suffrage movement celebrated a momentous victory 100 years ago. The 19^th Amendment to the Constitution was signed into law on August 26, 1920, guaranteeing women the right to vote. 

An interpretive display provided by the National Archives is currently on exhibit at Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum, covering this landmark moment in American history.  Stayed tuned for upcoming programs highlighting the role of Jekyll Island Club families in the fight for women’s right to vote.

Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum offers a variety of experiences for the whole family.  Visit our interactive museum gallery or take a historic district tour, to discover the many Jekyll Island historic figures whose legacies have shaped our nation, past and present. 

Please  visit our website for details and tour reservations.  For more information, please visit jekyllisland.com/history or call 912.635.4036.

By Ben Carswell

JIA Director of Conservation

With support from the Jekyll Island Foundation, The Jekyll Island Authority has been closely monitoring nesting Wilson’s plovers on the island since 2015. Although these shorebirds are declining across most of their range and are classified as Threatened by the State of Georgia, we’ve been glad to see a generally upward trend in the number of nesting pairs that reproduce on Jekyll between March and July each summer.

One result of the increase in nesting pairs is that we are now seeing these birds nest in places that they had not been using. As the population rebuilds from a low point of just one nesting pair reported in 2009, all the available territory taken quickly in what had been the corps nesting grounds on the island’s southern point, or Glory Beach. That’s great news, unless you are a plover pair looking for a vacancy, in which case, you’ll need look elsewhere.

For the past two years, we’ve monitored several plover nests in the dunes along the island’s busier, central beaches. Because these would-be plover parents are using areas more heavily trafficked by people and outside of the no-pet-zone on the south end, which was established to help their recovery, they are exposed to more stress and threats. This year, two nests near Oceanview Beach Park had close brushes with a loose dog and a free-roaming domestic cat. Thankfully the nests ended up hatching a total of six chicks.

We are very encouraged to find that even Jekyll’s more developed and frequented beaches can support Wilson’s Plover reproduction. This kind of adaptability may help save the species, but we cannot take it for granted. Without the awareness, care, and responsibility of beachgoers and pet owners, Wilson’s plovers could easily lose the ground they’ve gained on Jekyll.

You can help protect nesting plovers and other shorebirds by keeping pets on-leash, spaying/neutering and keeping cats indoors, and steering clear of sand dune areas above the tide line, including the smallest, youngest dunes closest to the beach. Plovers like to nest in these the most! To learn more about our conservation efforts, visit JekyllIsland.com/Conservation or to help bird conservation and research efforts on Jekyll Island, GIVE NOW.

By Michelle Kaylor

JIA GSTC Rehabilitation Manager

The Jekyll Island Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) has historically had a significant number of diamondback terrapin (DBT) hatchlings—743 since 2007! What may be unknown to many is how these little turtles end up at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

During the spring and summer nesting season—from April to July—many females are tragically struck by cars while searching for dry and high ground and crossing the Downing Musgrove Causeway—aka, Jekyll Island Causeway. Most of the time, the eggs are completely crushed. However, on a few occasions, the eggs are still intact.

All injured and deceased females found on or near the causeway are brought back to the GSTC. If the eggs are intact, they are collected. Terrapins that are still alive are stabilized and then induced with oxytocin so that they are able to lay their eggs naturally. Once the eggs are delivered, rehabilitation technicians take measurements (mass, length, and width) and place them in an egg container filled with a substrate—a commercial egg incubation material made from volcanic glass). The egg containers are then placed in incubators and checked periodically for signs of mold, non-viability, and hatching.

Terrapins, like all other turtles, display temperature-dependent sex determination. In other words, the temperature of the egg determines the hatchling’s sex. Male terrapins are produced when incubating egg temperatures are below 82˚F and females when temps are above 86˚F. The temperature range between 82˚F and 86˚F can produce either male or female turtles at the time of hatching. In order to make up for the loss of females on the Jekyll Island Causeway, the GSTC incubators are set to 86-87˚F.

During the 2019 DBT season, 90 terrapins hatched between July and August for the GSTC’s “Rear and Release” program. New hatchlings are monitored for a week while their umbilicus (the remnants of the yolk sac) absorbs into their body. From there, hatchlings are put into small white tubs with water, and the salinity (salt level) is gradually increased. Once new terrapins begin eating well, they are moved to a larger display tank.

For the next eight or nine months, these “girls” will be cared for and monitored. The goal is to help them develop to a substantial size so that they have a greater chance of survival in the wild. The hatchlings are fed a combination of krill, turtle pellets, and reptomin (turtle food) every day. Finally, the following May and June, they are systematically released into the wild as the nesting season begins again.

There is nothing more gratifying than watching these animals—from the moment they are first found on the road still in their eggs; to their birth as they poke their heads out of their shells; to their learning to eat, swim, and grow; and finally, to their release back to the marsh.

The 2019 diamondback terrapin season could not have been successful without the support of the Jekyll Island Foundation’s donors. To help the GSTC with terrapin rescue and research efforts for the 2020 nesting season, visit Help Diamondback Terrapins.

By Ray Emerson

JIA Lead Park Ranger

While spring may be thought of as the time of rebirth and renewal, particularly in nature, that time occurs in the fall for those of us in conservation. That’s the time of year when the Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) return to Jekyll. Whether it be sightings on the electrical towers in the intracoastal waterway, soaring in the skies above the island, or on the primary nest down the Crane Road bike path, we know a new season of life is about to begin.

From about Thanksgiving weekend through the first week of December we watch for a behavioral change, specifically one of the pair constantly on the nest, indicating incubation has begun. About 35 days later behaviors change again as one or both parents can be observed tearing off small pieces of prey and dipping into the nest to feed one or more tiny mouths within. Several days later, if we’re in the right place at the right time, we catch a glimpse of a fuzzy little head (maybe more than one) peering out over the rim of the nest.

The eaglets grow quickly and by the end of March, are nearly the size of their parents. They can often be seen flexing their wings and working their way up into the highest limbs above their nest. Sometime after the first of April they’ll take that initial leap of faith, soaring out over the marsh as they take their first flight. Soon afterward, they’re gone, leaving the nest to strike out on their own at a time when Mother Nature has ensured the most favorable conditions for them to establish and flourish.

Bald eagles are not typically hot weather birds, and Jekyll’s are no exception. Thus, migration begins in the fall with the eagles moving north until the process begins again. In regard to the cute little eaglets, we don’t know what happens after they’ve fledged as we don’t tag or identify them in any way. But sentimentally, as I see juvenile eagles around Jekyll, I often say to myself: “I bet I knew you when you were just a fuzz ball in your nest.”

Coastal Georgia’s value to birds as a migratory stopover and a seasonal refuge is immense. Your generosity enables the Foundation to do everything we can to make sure Jekyll Island is part of the conservation solution for birds—from research and monitoring to educational partnerships and programs.

Donate now to help migratory bird conservation and research efforts on Jekyll Island.

By Terry M. Norton, DVM, DACZM, Director and Veterinarian

JIA Georgia Sea Turtle Center

During the winter months the Georgia Sea Turtle Center commonly receives cold stunned turtles, often from other parts of the country, such as Massachusetts. Each year the GSTC creates a “naming theme” for these patients. One year the theme was ice cream flavors and a young green turtle patient that year was named “Chocolate.”  For the first couple of months, Chocolate was a routine case, requiring only basic supportive care (fluids, antibiotics, good nutrition) and was ready for release after about 8 weeks.  

Unfortunately, just prior to release, the left-side bottom (called the plastron) of his shell appeared enlarged. New X-ray equipment purchased with the generous help of Jekyll Island Foundation donors, provide much higher quality images in less time.  Staff X-rayed Chocolate and discovered a large mass in his body cavity.  Further CT imaging was pursued to determine the extent and location of the mass.  A needle attached to a syringe was carefully and sterilely placed through the skin into the body cavity and into the mass where a large amount of clear fluid was withdrawn.  The diagnosis was a large cyst. 

Once diagnosed, less aggressive treatments, diagnostic monitoring, and draining of the cyst were done initially to help Chocolate. But these methods did not result in his improvement.  Thus, exploratory surgery utilizing another piece of donated equipment from JIF – a laparoscope (sterile telescope with a camera on it) was used to better evaluate the cyst and its location which assisted in determining the next course of action.  Shortly thereafter, surgery was performed to remove the cyst, which was next to the testicle.  Microscopic examination revealed the mass was part of the reproductive tract. 

Chocolate did great after surgery and was successfully released 12 months after admission. Great news indeed!  For a more detailed look at Chocolate’s case, an article was recently published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.   

To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and patients like Chocolate, text GiveJekyll + $ amount to (844) 889-2692.