Author: Matthew Humphrey

Shorebirds

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Ben Carswell, JIA Director of Conservation and Sustainability

The partnership between the Jekyll Island Authority, Georgia Audubon, Georgia Sea Grant, and Jekyll Island Foundation to support a State Sea Grant Fellowship based on Jekyll Island in 2020 and 2021 has ended following a productive and enriching year for Sergio Sabat-Bonilla. While Sergio has moved on to Ph.D. studies at Virginia Tech, thanks to his efforts, we now have a more complete understanding than ever before of how, when, and where shorebirds are using Jekyll Island’s beaches.

During his fellowship, Sergio logged countless hours surveying all of Jekyll’s beaches by bike and on foot, counting and identifying over 18-thousand individual birds representing 16 different species. Sergio found that the best time and place to see the greatest abundance of shorebirds while on island, is in the morning on the south end as the tide is rising but not yet high.

Another aspect of Sergio’s fellowship was to analyze four priority species – Wilson’s plover, piping plover, red knot, and American oystercatcher. Areas of research focused on where these species were most likely to be seen, at what stage of the tide, and at what time of day.

Piping plovers, a species that winters on Jekyll Island and is federally protected under the Endangered Species Act, were notably wider ranging along the beaches than had previously been assumed. Pipers, as they are affectionately called, and their cousins, the Wilson’s plover, utilize both Jekyll’s remote and less traveled beaches on the far south end of the island as well as the busier beaches fronting the island’s bustling Beach Village and Great Dunes Beach Park.

While it’s encouraging that these species are still finding space and food to support their needs even on Jekyll’s busiest beaches, it’s also cause for caution and awareness. As Jekyll Island has experienced increased visitation due to changing patterns of tourism during the pandemic, it is all the more essential for Jekyll Island conservation staff to continue to protect the wildlife habitat value of both Jekyll’s most pristine beaches as well as its most visited ones.

How can you participate?

  1. Be mindful and respectful of birds when visiting or walking pets on the beach.
  2. Educate – read articles on Wildlife Research, become an Environmental Steward, or sign up to take a seasonal Ranger Walk or Gatorology adventure.
  3. Help with bird conservation efforts by donating HERE.

Plunging into Winter Rescue

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Nicki Thomas, JIA’s GSTC Education Program Manager

With more than $8,000 raised in support of sea turtles, the inaugural Cold-Stunned Plunge was held Saturday, November 27th to benefit the rehabilitation efforts of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, on behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation. Saturday morning was indeed chilly as the island welcomed nearly 250 participants to bravely plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The event was inspired by the journey of the Center’s winter patients stunned by the cold weather.

As marine reptiles, rapidly changing weather and the geography of the coast can lead sea turtles into trouble. Each year, as water temperatures drop below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, hundreds of cold-stunned (similar to hypothermia) sea turtles wash onto land. Cold-stunning impacts a sea turtle’s metabolism, immune system, and can lead to skin and shell wounds from being tossed on to rocky shores.

The timing of the Cold-Stunned Plunge was the perfect prelude to the following week as ten cold-stunned sea turtles arrived for care at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The turtles were originally rescued and admitted to the New England Aquarium days before they were transported south by volunteers from Turtles Fly Too, LLC. Eight Kemp’s ridleys, one green, and one loggerhead sea turtle arrived late afternoon at the Jekyll Island airport.

Initially, each sea turtle was examined, bloodwork was processed, and radiographs were taken by Dr. Norton and the rehabilitation staff. All the new patients received fluid therapy to combat dehydration, low blood sugar, and/or low blood protein. Many arrived with severe pneumonia which is treated using nebulization. Nebulization allows the turtles to breathe medications directly into their lungs where it is needed most. Some of the sea turtles also have abrasions and external wounds treated with an antibiotic cream called silver sulfadiazine, which is often used to treat human patients with severe burns. Watch our newest Scute’s School video to learn more about winter survival and cold-stunned sea turtle patients.  

The primary species impacted by cold stunning is the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is considered a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Species (IUCN). Every turtle returned to the wild makes a true impact in the future of the species. It takes government agencies, private corporations, volunteers, and non-profits, like the Jekyll Island Foundation, to make such a regional partnership possible. We are excited to continue sharing the stories of patients as they make their recovery and are returned to their ocean home.

To help fund cold stunned and other wounded turtles recover at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE.

Holly Jolly Jekyll Returns!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Summer Conley, JIA Marketing Coordinator

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner: The Holly Jolly Jekyll season returns November 26 through January 2 and the halls are decked and ready to celebrate!

The island is buzzing with seasonal festivities and family-friendly events, including the Holly Jolly Light Tours, where visitors can enjoy a trolley ride around the island to take in more than one million lights! The whole family can sit back, relax, and view the lights from Beach Village to the Historic District. Trolley riders will enjoy festive holiday beverages and music to sing along to! For those interested in enjoying the lights from the comfort of their own vehicle, Jekyll Island also offers a Self-Guided Light Tours experience through directional signage and a Google-enabled map showcasing the island’s best light displays!

On behalf of its Georgia Sea Turtle Center, the Jekyll Island Authority will also be introducing its newest event of the season, the Cold-Stunned Plunge happening November 27! This fun (and a little frigid!) fundraising event will benefit the rehabilitation efforts of the Center, on behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation. Mascot Scute C. Turtle and friends will cheer on participants and hang around for festive photos while they collect their commemorative t-shirts.

Other fun activities include Peppermint Land at Jekyll Island Mini Golf, where visitors can enjoy one or both of the 18-hole courses while surrounded by life-size gumdrops, peppermint sticks, gingerbread friends, and more. Play into the evening and enjoy the lights all season long! Drive-in movies featuring ‘Frosty the Snowman’ and Holiday Fireworks will also be happening on select nights.

Visitors looking to do a little holiday shopping can also stop by the newest addition to the season, the Holly Jolly Jekyll Trading Post! Enjoy a festive selection of novelties and collectibles at this Christmas-themed shop and pick up official ‘Holly Jolly Jekyll’ holiday gifts of the season!

And, for those interested in spreading some holiday cheer, there’s no better time to give the gift of a membership to the Jekyll Island Foundation. Memberships directly support the funding of Jekyll Island’s natural, cultural and historic resources through conservation, preservation, and educational projects. Whether visiting for the night or all season long, a membership is a wonderful way to ensure the magic of Jekyll Island remains beyond the season.

The Wanderer Memory Trail

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Taylor Davis, JIA Historic Preservationist

The Jekyll Island Foundation is pleased to announce the award of a grant from the Friends of Coastal Georgia History to fund upgrades and enhancements to the Wanderer Memory Trail. Located at the south end of Jekyll Island in the St. Andrews picnic area, the Trail serves as an interactive, educational experience meant to interpret the event of the ship, Wanderer, coming aground on Jekyll Island. The site is designated a ‘Site of Memory’ under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Slave Route Project, an international initiative that works to discover details about and promote awareness of the transatlantic slave trade and history of slavery.

The Wanderer was the second to last documented ship to bring an illegal cargo of people from Africa to the United States and on November 28, 1858, more than 400 enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of Jekyll Island, leaving behind one deadly journey only to begin another. Wanderer survivors consisted of kidnapped children, captive warriors, ambushed traders, and African royalty, with the majority being boys between 13 and 18 years old.

In 2018, the Jekyll Island Authority enhanced a tribute previously built in honor of the Wanderer Survivors, by replacing existing historical site markers—erected in modern day St. Andrews Beach Park where the Wanderer ran aground attempting to enter Jekyll Creek—with a permanent multimedia installation that offers greater interactive opportunities for education and understanding. Made up of eight (8) individual exhibits, the Trail walks visitors through the story of Umwalla, a young African boy brought to America on the ship, from when he was captured until he is freed. Historical information is also included along the way to aid parents/caregivers in the explanation of context and complex issues to children.

In the years since the Trail was built, the Authority has tended the exhibit, observing its usage, and seeking feedback on the guest experience. A series of enhancements and improvements were identified that take advantage of current technological advances and more effective storytelling aides to ensure visitor enjoyment as well as appropriate interpretation of complex and compelling historical and educational narratives. Improvements include an additional solar-powered audio station with new oral histories, repair of a solar panel on a current audio station, rerouting the trail to improve visitor safety while lowering the impact of visitors on the adjacent natural environment, and replacing and/or redesigning damaged (i.e., by weather) interpretive exhibits to withstand the elements and repeated interactions with visitors. Enhancements are expected to be complete by mid-spring 2022.

On your next trip to Jekyll Island be sure to visit the Wanderer Slave Ship exhibit in the Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum gallery. For more information on the Wanderer Memory Trail, click HERE.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes on Jekyll Island

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Joseph Colbert, JIA Wildlife Biologist

Last year through support from Jekyll Island Foundation donors, the Jekyll Island Authority Conservation department research team introduced its Eastern Diamondback Health Study (EDHS). When the study began, a search of resources and known literature was conducted to learn more about snake health only to discover there is very little information available on the subject. This is particularly true of the eastern diamondback rattlesnakes that researchers have been working with for a decade on the island, which presented an opportunity for the first Jekyll Island study of its kind.

The purpose of the EDHS was to evaluate what blood chemistry can reveal about snake health. For example, when people go to a doctor for a check-up, they provide a blood sample, and if the results show they are high or low in a specific value, such as calcium, proteins, or triglycerides, those results give the doctor information about the health of their patient. Likewise, animals that are healthy or unhealthy also have blood chemistry that falls within a specific range of values. As a result of the bloodwork study, the research team now has detailed health information for eastern diamondback rattlesnakes on Jekyll Island and are working on publishing these results in scientific literature so other wildlife biologists and veterinarians can reference. This breakthrough information reveals when a snake is sick or under stress which, unlike some other animal species, is difficult or impossible to know by just looking at them.

However, the most exciting discovery is that before becoming pregnant, females have elevated levels of calcium, phosphorus, and triglycerides up to 12 months prior to giving birth. This is remarkable because snakes only gestate (carry) for approximately 6-7 months. Because researchers seek to secure the future of native wildlife that utilize Jekyll Island, understanding reproduction dynamics is key. When tracking eastern diamondbacks, staff is often able to observe pregnant females or witness that they’ve given birth (rattlesnakes bear live young). By comparing the blood chemistry of the 6 females in the study with blood taken from 50 other snakes, the team now confirms that pregnancy can be predicted in eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, another major first. Researchers believe these results are likely to apply to other reptile species in need of conservation. By sampling individuals in a specific location, biologists can use Jekyll Island research results to determine if a population is thriving or suffering and how many females are pregnant.

So, on your next excursion into nature, think about how the health of the animals that share our world is as important to them and their survival as your health is to you. For some animals, such as eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, individual health can also be a matter of species survival. The Jekyll Island Authority Conservation department is grateful of the support from donors of the Jekyll Island Foundation for funding this important, breakthrough research project.

To support the work of the Jekyll Island Foundation, click HERE.

The Patrol Team

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Davide Zailo, JIA Research Specialist

Pillar #3: Research

The Jekyll Island Authority’s Conservation Department, working alongside staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, collects data on all species of turtle found on Jekyll Island to develop a better understanding of the conservation needs and issues they face. From sea turtles on Jekyll’s oceanfront beaches, to freshwater turtles and box turtles on the island’s interior, to diamondback terrapins that inhabit our marshes, each one is studied. By doing so, staff can better manage both the habitats being protected and educate residential and visitor communities to partner in a collective responsibility for island stewardship.  Jekyll Island is a model community that strikes a delicate balance between the natural and human world. Only with a deep understanding of both of these aspects can we accomplish our conservation goals.

The JIA’s flagship field research program consists of monitoring and collecting information on nesting sea turtles that visit the island’s beaches every summer. The night patrol team works from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m., guided by turtle-friendly red lights. The patrol team’s goal is to encounter as many nesting sea turtles as possible and when appropriate, give each a unique identification tag, collect information on size and general appearance to gauge health, and protect their nest with a large screen to reduce chances of predation. As the night patrol shift ends, researchers are quickly replaced by the dawn patrol team. This daylight team has a different set of duties: perform a thorough survey of the entire island’s beaches, protect nests, and collect habitat information in areas the night patrol team cannot survey due to lack of light. Finally, the dawn patrol team enters data and prepares gear for the next evening shift.

The Jekyll Island project is one of the longest-term projects of its kind. As a result of these efforts, in the 2021 season, more than 13,000 loggerhead sea turtle eggs were protected and resulted in more than 7,000 hatchlings. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center educated over 5,000 individuals during chance encounters about sea turtle conservation efforts. And, thanks to the generous support of the Jekyll Island Foundation and its donors, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center received a new UTV to continue monitoring efforts for nesting sea turtles. With the 2022 nesting season just around the corner, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center will continue its effort to make an even greater impact on the rehabilitation, education and research for this resilient species.

Find Pillar #1 HERE, Pillar #2 HERE

Author’s note: Established in 2007, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is a hospital that primarily cares for sick and injured turtles – the only wildlife hospital focusing on turtles in the state of Georgia.  The mission of the GSTC encompasses three pillars: 1) Rehabilitation, 2) Education, and 3) Research. Through these pillars guests are connected to individual patient stories and the broader threats these animals face. Since opening its doors, the GSTC has successfully released over 600 sea turtles.

Finding Freedom in the War of 1812

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Andrea Marroquin, JIA Curator

Amidst the War of 1812, a proclamation promised freedom to enslaved people who deserted to the British.  This proclamation resulted in what has been called “one of the most extraordinarily effective mass military emancipations ever seen in the United States.”  Thousands of African Americans are believed to have been liberated from this vicinity, including many from Jekyll Island.

British forces under the command of Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn first burned Washington D.C. and failed in an attack on Fort McHenry at Baltimore, Maryland (inspiring “The Star Spangled Banner”), before heading south.  The plan was to terrorize the southeastern coast of the United States with attacks on Charleston and Savannah. 

Meanwhile, the British invaded and occupied nearby Cumberland Island and conducted a series of smaller raids along the Georgia coastline.  British ships attacked Jekyll Island several times, with raids continuing even after the war was already over.  Christophe Dubignon later testified “my house was plundered at four different times by said British.” 

One of those raids took place on November 26, 1814, when the crew of the HMS. Lacedemonian struck anchor, proceeded to Horton House, and attacked.  Henry and Amelia Dubignon, Christophe’s son and daughter-in-law, later testified that the British sailors “immediately commenced plundering everything of value they could lay hands on, destroying what they could not carry off.”

When the British departed, 28 enslaved men and women from Jekyll Island escaped with them.  Christophe Dubignon documented the names, occupations, ages, and prices of the people that he complained “did desert from him.”  This list included two children, sixteen field hands, and many skilled laborers, such as a carpenter, blacksmith, sailmaker, fisherman, packer, carter, shoemaker, seamstress, and cook.

Shortly after this incident, the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814, formally ending the War of 1812.  The following March, local planters sought the return of property and slaves as required by the Treaty of Ghent.  Admiral Cockburn refused to return any former slaves unless they wanted to leave.  He argued that they became free the moment they arrived on British soil, and that his British ships of war qualified as such. 

In April 1815, neighboring planter John Couper of St. Simons Island travelled to Bermuda “in hopes he might induce them to return.”  As he boarded the frigate Brune to meet with the black refugees on board, a former Dubignon slave named Frederick cried out: “That is Mr. Couper.  I wish my master was in his place.  I should like to shove him down into the sea!” 

Clearly, the refugees were not interested in returning to a life of slavery.  Instead, they sailed to Bermuda and then on to Trinidad or to Nova Scotia, where they faced hunger and hardships but retained their freedom.  Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane (Commander-in-Chief of the North American Station and Admiral Cockburn’s direct report) declared “that none of those persons have been kept in a state of slavery but suffered to go where they thought proper. . . . and those who performed any work were regularly paid for same.”

To explore more of the island’s eventful history, visit Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, where tours and exhibits are available daily.

Take the Plunge, Raise Some Funds!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Summer Conley, JIA Marketing Coordinator

Rolling out this upcoming holiday season is the island’s next fun, and a little frigid, fundraiser! Join other ocean lovers November 27 for the all new Cold-Stunned Plunge, benefitting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation. Like many of the polar plunge events of the North, participants will walk, run or ‘plunge’ into the chilly Atlantic in support of sea turtles on the Georgia coast.

During the winter months, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center experiences an influx of cold-stunned patients transported from the Northeast. These sea turtles suffer from a form of hypothermia due to freezing ocean currents. Often found lethargic and unable to function, these sea turtles get caught in the rapidly dropping temperatures of the North Atlantic Ocean and are unable to make their way to warmer water. Without the months-long care of organizations like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, many cold-stunned sea turtles would not survive. Serving as a companion event to the island’s popular Turtle Crawl, which raised more than $24,000 this past spring, the Cold-Stunned Plunge was introduced to bring more awareness to the extensive rehabilitation efforts of the Center during their busy winter season.

Presented by the Beach Village Merchants and Georgia Power, participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt and can join the GSTC’s mascot, Scute C. Turtle, and friends on the Beach Village Turtle Stage for photo ops before and after their big ‘plunge.’ Taking place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, registration is now open for this new and exciting holiday fundraiser. Online registration will increase on October 8 and pre-registration will close November 25. Those who prefer to sleep in while supporting the work of the Center and the mission of the Jekyll Island Foundation can register virtually and still receive the commemorative t-shirt. Registration will also be open for participation on the morning of the event.

Mark your calendars, register to ‘plunge’ and let’s raise some funds!

Scute’s School and Beyond

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Nicole Thomas, Education Program Manager of the JIA’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Pillar #2: Education: Focus on the Human Animal

Education is interwoven through the framework of the GSTC’s mission.  Each opportunity to 1) form a personal connection, 2) increase awareness of wildlife threats, and 3) inspire individuals to act is the heart of the work. As the world seemed to come to a halt in March 2020, the Education team seized the opportunity to reimagine the definition of personal connection and conservation action by meeting people where they were – at home. Scute’s School was fashioned as a new take on a standard practice. The GSTC has always been a resource for educators, but Scute’s School provided the opportunity to expand the Center’s online presence and create inclusive resources for all teachers, parents, and supporters.

For 50 straight days the education team developed and published a variety of interactive learning opportunities, which included crafts, videos, and updates on the rehabilitation and conservation of wildlife patients, reaching over one million people. Each activity was thoughtfully constructed to work for educators and families at home or in the traditional classroom.

Scute’s School is a testament to the team’s unyielding love for conservation and sincere desire to be a consistent source of educational information, encouraging a ripple effect of environmental stewardship. GSTC Educators were immediately flooded with notes of thanks and photos of kids participating in Scute’s School activities locally in Glynn County and across the country.

The real power of Scute’s School was brought to the Center in June 2021 by a family from Minnesota. Their two kids completed each of the activities and watched all of the videos which inspired them to write their own books. Prior to discovering Scute’s School, they had never heard of the GSTC or Jekyll Island. Because of Scute’s School, they planned their summer vacation around visiting Jekyll Island and sharing their books with GSTC staff. Everyone was incredibly touched and impressed with page after page of drawings illustrating sea turtle anatomy, life cycles, threats, and ways to help our ocean friends.

Their visit to Jekyll Island to share their new-found love of the GSTC was exactly why Scute’s School. It is amazing to see GSTC followers and supporters continue to carry the torch of the Center’s mission and work. Human connection is so important. Without the supporters who donate through the Jekyll Island Foundation and participate in events such as Turtle Crawl, tours like Turtles at Twilight, and programs like Adopt-a-Sea Turtle, the GSTC would not have the ability to reach so many hearts. It is the GSTC’s fundamental goal to share the message of hope and how actions make a true difference for our oceans and coastal wildlife.

To help support the ongoing work of the GSTC, click HERE.

Find Pillar #1 HERE, Pillar #3 HERE.

STAY TUNED

Next, we will dig deeper into Pillar #3 – Research – sharing the lessons we are learning and the mysteries we have yet to solve with Jekyll’s nesting sea turtles.

Author’s note: Established in 2007, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is a hospital that primarily cares for sick and injured turtles – the only wildlife hospital focusing on turtles in the state of Georgia. The mission of the GSTC encompasses three pillars: 1) Rehabilitation, 2) Education, and 3) Research. Through these pillars guests are connected to individual patient stories and the broader threats these animals face. Since opening its doors in 2007, the GSTC has successfully released over 600 sea turtles.