Category: For the Record

By Breanna Ondich

GSTC Research Specialist

Visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and get an up-close look at turtle rehabilitation in action, explained inside the Learning Center and Rehabilitation Pavilion through educational programming, interpretive displays, and interactions with educators. Since it may not always be front and center, you might miss the fact that staff is always busy with research behind the scenes.

Research is one of the foundations of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and studying nesting female Loggerhead Sea Turtles and monitoring their nests is the flagship project. The Center collects important and unique data to help understand the biology of these animals, identify threats, and monitor their recovery. Sea turtle research has been conducted on Jekyll Island since the late 1950s. Long-term wildlife monitoring programs are particularly important for species that live for many decades, like Loggerheads, as they provide an understanding of their biology and their response to conservation efforts and habitat change over long periods of time.

It is not novel news that sea turtles face numerous, high-profile threats such as being hit by boats, getting caught by active or abandoned fishing gear, ingesting plastic pieces, competing with coastal development for nesting habitat, and poaching. However, while invisible to the eye, water polluted with contaminants known as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are also threats to sea turtles. POPs leach into rivers and oceans from common items like plastics, antibiotics, and human personal care products and can cause a depressed immune system, poor body condition, and low hatch success (fewer offspring) in sea turtles.

Beginning in 2019, the GSTC partnered with collaborators from the University of Georgia, Florida Atlantic University-Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and Loggerhead Marinelife Center to find out if Loggerhead Sea Turtles that nest on Jekyll Island have these POP contaminants in their blood and if they are passing them down to their hatchlings.  GSTC research and veterinary staff use the UTVs funded by the Jekyll Island Foundation to intercept as many nesting sea turtles as possible to collect blood samples once the turtles have already committed to laying eggs. While Research AmeriCorps Members remain on the beach to continue surveying for nesting sea turtles, other staff head to the lab to process blood samples for analysis. This is the first study (that we know of) that aims to discover if POPs exist in wild Loggerhead Sea Turtles and the GSTC depends on- and is grateful to- Jekyll Island Foundation donors to keep the research in motion – quite literally.

By John Bennett

JIA Marketing Communications Manager

The redesigned Georgia Sea Turtle Center specialty license plate features a friendly and familiar face. The popular “happy turtle” image is a prominent part of the new plate, which was designed by Jekyll Island Authority Art Director Claire Davis. Her goal was to create a “colorful and engaging design,” but also to convey the importance of the work being done at the center. “I wanted to emphasize the idea that when people purchase these plates for their vehicles, they are truly making a difference,” she said. “Using this well-known image of a Georgia Sea Turtle Center patient seemed to be the ideal way to accomplish that.”

Because the photo is also used on the GSTC website, on vehicle wraps, and in print publications, incorporating it into the license plate builds a consistent and recognizable visual brand, and strengthens the image’s association with the center and its mission.

The new plates are now available through county tag offices across the state and for each license plate purchased or renewed, $10 flows back to Jekyll Island. When it’s time to purchase a plate for a new vehicle or renew an existing plate, sea turtle supporters can apply for a GSTC specialty license plate through the same process used to apply for a standard plate. If a county tag office does not have the GSTC specialty license plate in stock, a temporary operating permit is issued, then the GSTC plate is mailed to the applicant.

In addition to generating revenue, the new plate also builds awareness of the GSTC, making the center’s location on Jekyll more distinct, and helping to raise the profile of the island as a whole. “People who purchase this plate are really contributing twice,” Davis said. “First through their financial support and then by promoting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jekyll Island wherever they go.” Davis said she’s been gratified by the feedback she’s received and looks forward to seeing the plates out “in the wild.”

Those who live outside the state of Georgia can help promote the center, too, as decorative versions of the plates that can be displayed on the fronts of cars will be available for purchase at the GSTC gift shop.

“It’s time to take your love for sea turtles on the road!  Order Georgia’s new ‘Turtle Tag‘ today and help support the Georgia Sea Turtle Center.

By Stephanie Long

Mosaic Museum Manager

A stroll through a museum is often accompanied by the voices of school children on a field trip. With the opening of Mosaic, The Jekyll Island Museum, the education staff has been working on creating new field trip experiences for students coming to Jekyll Island. Educators identified over 130 Social Studies and English Language Arts Georgia Standards of Excellence that serve as the basis for the programs now being offered to schools.

The opening of Mosaic provides new opportunities to host school groups. Students are invited to engage with educators and tour guides in the new exhibit gallery, exploring the natural and cultural history and environment of Jekyll Island, from prehistory to today. The interactive exhibits like the virtual Red Bug, the Eagle’s Nest, and the Magic Mirror have been quite popular with students of all ages. The Tack Room classroom allows for accommodation of larger school groups with more room for hands-on activities. Capacity will be further increased by the completion of the outdoor education space directly behind the building.

Field trips also include the chance to explore one of the cottages in the historic district while learning about the history of the families who lived and worked in them, what they ate, how they used the land, and more. Students will explore differing points of view on prominent members of the Jekyll Island Club, contrasting their lives with others from the same era. Each 90-minute encounter covers various Georgia Standards of Excellence, encompassing kindergarten to high school.

Recently, school tour information was disbursed to area teachers. Mosaic staff received several immediate responses from teachers enthusiastic about bringing their students to Jekyll. As a friend of Jekyll Island, if you know a teacher, class, or student group that would benefit from a trip to Mosaic, please contact educator Emma Smith at esmith@jekyllisland.com or (912) 689-9294 for more information. Tours may be customized to focus on particular subjects and/or to complement existing lessons. To schedule a field trip, please call the group tours desk at (912) 635-4168.

Historic Preservation and Conservation staff are grateful for the generous funding provided by donors of the Jekyll Island Foundation to support new curriculum development for the museum. To build on Mosaic by continuing to add new and exciting features the Foundation welcomes you to GIVE NOW and keep the Mosaic momentum going.

By Michelle Kaylor, Rehabilitation Manager and

Aislinn Wright, Educator I

Jekyll Island Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center

The 2019 Diamondback Terrapin (DBT) nesting season officially ended on July 26^th.  From the first terrapin found on April 7^th to the last on July 30^th, 485 adult females were encountered while attempting to nest on the Jekyll Island Causeway.  Of those 485, 360 were safely measured, weighed, provided a health assessment and identification code, and then moved off the road – that’s a save rate of about 75 percent!  SO EXCITING!

A total of 194 eggs were collected – from females struck by cars during their attempt to cross the road – and placed in incubators at the GSTC.  We are happy to say that over 82 eggs have already successfully hatched!

One special case was a female named Jicama. She was struck on the causeway and fortunately survived. Under GSTC staff care, screws and wires were used to stabilize her fractured shell. Jicama did not have the chance to lay her nest before being struck, so she still had eggs inside her. She was later induced to lay them in the GSTC hospital. After incubating approximately 45 days, the first of her babies emerged from their eggs on July 16^th!

It isn’t often that a terrapin survives a vehicle strike, so this was a special moment to see both the mother survive and her babies hatch after such a traumatic event. More of her eggs hatched over the next few days, and eventually Jicama and her babies were all able to be released back into the marsh. Another WIN!

The 2019 Diamondback Terrapin Road Season could not have been successful without the support from YOU, the Jekyll Island Foundation’s donors.  Please continue to support the DBT work by clicking here. 

By Emma Smith, Educator

Jekyll Island Authority Museum

As one of the new educators for the Mosaic Museum, I am very excited to be a part of Jekyll Island. I came into this position with a lot of ideas for programming at the Mosaic, along with the museum’s outdoor space, known as the “Paddock”. The ability to move some programs outside provides a unique way for us to educate and entertain our guests. In fact, we’ve already begun utilizing the space.

For a look at the full rendering booklet, click here.

On October 18, the Mosaic will host its first 21+ event: Cocktails and Costumes. This program harkens back to the costume parties held by Jekyll Island Club members. It will be held in the “Tack Room”, the multi-purpose room within the building, as well as the Paddock. Guests are encouraged to come dressed in costume and enjoy a spooky evening with us.

We are hosting an Archaeology Day event on November 15 to give guests the opportunity to participate in their own dig, make pinch pots, throw atlatls, and explore other family activities.  Archaeology can get a little messy, so the Paddock provides a great space for this hands-on interaction with the island’s history.

We’re already thinking ahead to Spring Break and next summer. The Paddock will be the site of camps, hands-on history crafts and demonstrations, historic games, and nature programming. We have so much history to explore, and we plan to keep our guests busy!

The Paddock gives us a great place to extend our programs outdoors. We can spread out and allow guests to interact with games or activities and even get a bit messy. It also allows us to simultaneously host separate events in the Tack Room and the Paddock without bumping into each other. The Paddock area covered, making it usable year-round. When finished, the Mosaic terrace will provide the perfect extension for our programming. To help complete this educational space, visit Jekyll Island Mosaic.

By Joseph Colbert, CWB®, Wildlife Biologist

Jekyll Island Authority Conservation Department

Fall is the time of year that many of us look forward to watching some of our favorite seasonal wildlife species passing through Jekyll as they are moving from one region to another. This year look for migrating butterflies in addition to migratory birds featured overhead as you walk into the lobby of our newly renovated Mosaic Museum.

Monarchs, gulf fritillary’s, and cloudless sulfurs are three species commonly seen using the Atlantic Coastal Flyway to complete their fall migrations. Locals and residents have grown accustomed to seeing them glide down Jekyll’s beaches in the fall, but when it comes to understanding how many, when they fly, and what habitats are most important, information is scarce. In fact, no studies have been conducted on the Georgia coast to answer these questions.

Considering Georgia has a more undeveloped coastline than neighboring states, Jekyll Island’s support of regional butterfly migration could be critical. As such, in 2017 BAFA (Butterflies of the Atlantic Flyway Alliance) was initiated along with several local conservation-based partner agencies along the Georgia coast. Partner agencies include Jekyll Island, St Catherine’s Island, Little Saint Simons Island, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others. Several goals of the partner agencies are to, for the first time, document migration rates, gather information necessary to estimate population sizes, and develop a migratory butterfly management plan for the Georgia coast. It is no surprise that these charming, airborne creatures would choose such an attractive and natural stretch of coastline in Georgia as a part of their migratory highway system to make their journey. We expect to reveal some of our preliminary findings to the public as we continue to collect data with our partners, so stay tuned!