Category: For the Record

Another RECORD-Breaking Year Y’all for 2023 Turtle Crawl

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Michelle Kaylor, Director Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Another record-breaking year for the annual Turtle Crawl, all in the name of supporting the Jekyll Island Authority’s (JIA) Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s (GSTC) mission of sea turtle Rehabilitation, Research, and Education. This year broke the record for participation with 1,616 participants, the most participants ever to support the event since its inception.

What initially originated as a multi-race triathlon, Turtle Crawl has evolved over the years from hosting experienced athletes through a rigorous competition to a family-friendly event accessible to all.  Of note this year, the event welcomed participants ranging in ages from 84 years young to 2 years old. Turtle Crawl also saw participants travel near and far to join in this year’s races, with representation from more than 40 states, the UK and Germany. Since its inception the annual race has raised nearly $200,000 through the generous support of both participants and donors.

Taking place annually the last weekend in April, Turtle Crawl has also become one of the most recognized events promoting sea turtle conservation initiatives and serves as the kick-off to sea turtle season and nesting on the Georgia coast. And, if you visit Jekyll Island in the fall, consider planning a trip to experience the Cold-Stunned Plunge! This companion event to Turtle Crawl will take place on Saturday, November 25, 2023, ahead of the anticipated arrival of cold-stunned patients to the Center!

For information on how you can participate or volunteer for these events click HERE and to support the work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center Click HERE.

Horton Hears A Coo

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Joseph Colbert CWB®, JIA Wildlife Biologist & Dan Quinn, JIA Natural Resource Manager

It’s May, and the island’s peak bird activity season is here! Residents and guests happily greet these motivated and enthusiastic songbirds that are in full migration. Spring is in and migrant birds are singing their joyful melodies to the world and darting around the island in search of food and companionship. Some are even seeking a nesting site to raise chicks.

A favorite place to see and hear these feathery songbird friends is on the Tupelo Trail, which can be accessed from the Horton Pond parking area. Tupelo Trail was designed to provide a diverse range of habitats, boasting six in total: southern maritime live oak forest, Florida live oak forest, tupelo wetland, maritime pine forests, yaupon blueberry bush hardwood scrub forest, and open canopy redbay saw palmetto thicket. These diverse habitats host a wide variety of plants, seeds, and insects, which are exactly what hungry bird migrants need to recharge from their big spring journeys.

If you are motivated to see or hear some songbirds this spring, consider walking the ¾ mile Tupelo Trail. Some birds are easy to spot with the naked eye, like cardinals, brown thrashers, and Carolina wrens. Get help identifying bird species by using identification applications like Merlin, that can identify birds by sight or song! Then, step up your own bird identification abilities with a pair of binoculars. Binoculars are a critical bird identification tool that allow for a better look at species that like to keep a distance, such as black-throated blue warblers, painted buntings, common yellow throats, orchard orioles, black and white warblers, American redstarts, tufted titmice, and Eastern phoebes. Don’t forget to use your ears too. Some common birds are easier to hear than see, including yellow throated warblers, Northern parulas, Eastern towhees, pine warblers, palm warblers, carolina chickadees, and brown headed nuthatches. It’s the perfect time of year for bird activity. Come for a visit, bring your gear, and view the sights!

We’re grateful for the support of the Jekyll Island Foundation, who provided investor funding to build the Horton Pond viewing platform and Tupelo Trail. To contribute to similar projects that support public access to nature-based recreation and other conservation efforts on Jekyll Island, click HERE.

Meet Our Board: Johnathan Roberts

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Jekyll Island has been a part of Johnathan Roberts’s life from an early age. During his childhood in Blackshear, Georgia, his family enjoyed day trips to the island, often boating and fishing or visiting his extended family, the Van Iderstynes. Embarking from the Jekyll Marina to nearby Cumberland Island and Christmas Creek became one of Johnathan’s favorite things to do with his dad. The Jekyll Island Club Resort’s Grand Dining Room became his mom’s favorite place to celebrate her birthday with its rich history and charm.

As a young adult, Johnathan settled on St. Simons Island, and he visited Jekyll even more often. Boating trips from St. Simons to Jekyll and fishing around the rivers became a frequent hobby.

In 2009, Johnathan started Roberts Civil Engineering, which offers civil design, construction services, municipal consulting and program management services in St. Simons Island and beyond. By 2012, Jekyll Island Authority had become a repeat client. Some of his proudest projects include the Ben Fortson Entrance Reconfiguration, Camp Jekyll, The Cottages at Jekyll Island and the Beach Village. It was through work on these projects that he became acquainted with the Jekyll Island Foundation. “The Foundation’s value was easy to recognize,” he said. When approached to serve on the Board, he was deeply honored. “I love Jekyll Island and think it’s such a special place. I was honored to be asked to help promote and protect it.”

He loves the unique combination of nature, history and – now – the newer enhancements.

“Responsible development is and has been a hallmark for Jekyll,” he said. “The Jekyll Island Authority has taken great care to ensure a tangible connection between yesterday and today, and to maintain the balance of conservation and commercial viability.”

Johnathan, his wife Meredith, and their two children make frequent neighborly visits to Jekyll for bike rides and excursions. “During the Christmas holidays, our family has a tradition to view the impressive light displays. The Authority does a wonderful job, and Jekyll Island continues to prosper under its leadership.”

An avid runner who has competed in ten marathons to date, Johnathan also has praise for Jekyll’s trail system. “It’s second to none. The route along the ocean in the early morning is one of my favorites.”

Looking forward, Johnathan says, “My hope for Jekyll is that it continues to thrive as one of the most unique destinations in the country with an appropriate balance of the natural environment, appealing amenities and rich history.”

Meet Our Board: Thomas S. Lines

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

In Georgia—where ancestral lineage often runs as deep as the roots of the state’s prized southern live oaks—Tom Lines can trace his Golden Isles branches back to a seedling.

“My family has been in Glynn County since coming over (from England) with James Oglethorpe (founder of the colony of Georgia when it was British America) as a foot soldier,” said Tom.

Generations later, Atlanta-born Tom enjoys exploring the same territory as his distant relatives.

“Our family has had a house on St. Simons Island since the 1950s, but Jekyll Island has always been my favorite place to visit,” he said. “I can remember going to Jekyll with my grandmother to picnic and go fishing. And I was on Island the first day the Aquarama (the former indoor pool that operated for three decades) was open.”

In the years since, Tom believes Jekyll has only gotten better. “It’s remarkable what the state government—through the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA)—have done to protect and preserve the area,” he said. “There is so much untouched beauty, undeveloped land, and distinct character. I hope it stays this way.”

Tom also appreciates that Jekyll remains approachable and affordable for families. “From the beaches to the Historic District and everything in between, Jekyll has something for any age or budget to enjoy.”

Having said that, he does wish for more people to know the Island better. “I would love to see Jekyll become a destination for young people, especially youth golf, and I think value accommodations that fall between the campground and hotels—like the yurts the JIA are building—will help this happen,” he said.

He also believes amenities such as Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center have a greater capacity for youth and visitor education. “The outdoor classroom at Mosaic (under construction) and the (planned) renovations to the Turtle Center will be amazing opportunities to engage more schools and to raise the visibility of Jekyll to world-renowned for its conservation and preservation efforts.”

He cited a recent collaboration between the JIA, the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF), and the Friends of Coastal Georgia History in the Island’s St. Andrews Beach Park as a successful example of this type of meaningful education, outreach, and impact. “The Wanderer Memory Trail is a very important exhibit, and it was done very well,” he said, speaking of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Slave Route Project site of memory that commemorates where The Wanderer, the second to last documented ship to bring an illegal cargo of people from Africa to the United States, ran aground.

An avid outdoorsman, retired business owner, and current Treasurer for JIF’s Board of Directors, Tom sees nothing but potential in Jekyll’s future and is proud, happy, and humbled to have borne witness and played a small part in its evolution. “I was around when the state was thinking of releasing the Island from its State Park designation and don’t like to imagine what might have happened [had revitalization not occurred].”

He applauds JIA for the forethought that has brought Jekyll to its current iteration and feels the state-wide representation on JIF’s Board will be a key support element in helping to protect and promote what the Island has to offer.

“Jekyll is so much more than its beaches,” he said. “I love what it means to—and about—Georgia. There’s just a charm here that exists nowhere else in the state.”

Spring Forward

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Yank Moore, Director of Conservation & Joseph Colbert CWB®, Wildlife Biologist

Spring is in the air on Jekyll Island. The songbirds are migrating, shorebirds are nesting, and flowers are showing their dramatic colorscapes. Before you know it, summer will be on the horizon, but for now, you can enjoy the pleasant weather and the majestic beauty of nature waking up from its winter slumber.

The Jekyll Island Causeway pollinator site that was planted over the winter has awoken from its slumber and is beginning to establish. As seeds from the native pollinator mix sprout, the colors are beginning to manifest, from the red, pink and white flowers of Phlox to the yellow and red flowers of Blanket Flower and finally brilliant pink Showy Primroses. A variety of Clovers and Brown-eyed Susans with their earthy tones are not far behind as the island approaches the heat of summer. The array of color combinations will continue to change as the species that were planted flourish and bloom throughout the year, providing a fresh and unique color palette for every season. Along with the native pollinators that were planted, native species that lied dormant in the soil include Peppergrass, Herb William and Spiderwort which blanket the ground with new growth, providing stability and moisture retention for the young seedlings that continue to develop.

While driving along the causeway, if you watch closely, you will see pollinators such as bees and butterflies, buzzing about with on-looking Tree Swallows and Swifts lurking to grab a quick bite. You may also enjoy the tradition of counting marsh rabbits while they feed on the young vegetation as you approach the sanctuary of Jekyll Island. Either way, guests and residents are greeted with attractive colorful native plants that provide critical resources for our diverse wildlife that make themselves at home on Jekyll Island.

This project supports the Jekyll Island Authority’s mission of responsible preservation, maintenance, and care of wildlife diversity, thanks to the contribution of a generous donor to the Jekyll Island Foundation. To contribute to the ecological enhancement of wildlife diversity and conservation efforts on Jekyll Island, click HERE.

A Celebration of Preservation

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

Hollybourne Cottage is set to celebrate Historic Preservation Month this May with a whole host of new developments. The Jacobethan-style cottage was built in 1890 for the Maurice family. Charles Stewart Maurice, the patriarch, was a partner in the Union Bridge Company. His passion for his work directly translated into the design of his family’s Jekyll Island home, where a bridge-like truss helps to support the first and second floors of the house. Charles, his wife Charlotte, and their nine children were fixtures at the Jekyll Island Club for more than half a century. They hosted Christmas parties for employees, welcomed Club member families to their house, and wrote about the broader history of Jekyll Island. Notably, Hollybourne is the only Jekyll Island Club cottage whose ownership stayed within just one family.

Today, Hollybourne is the focus of a decades-long preservation effort. A four-year-long window rehabilitation project was just completed in April, thanks to volunteer, intern, and staff efforts. These groups rehabilitated each of the cottage’s windows with new wood and glass bead, restrung them with new sash cord, painted their exteriors, and oiled their interiors. Every window in the house is now operational.

Thanks to pieces and parts from Historic Resources’ historic fixture collection, one of the three original Hollybourne bathrooms is now operational as well! Volunteers, staff, and interns installed a high-tank toilet and sink. They also ran a new 100-foot waste line and fresh water line to the building. Interestingly, this is the first time that the house’s waste line has run to the sewer rather than the river. Alongside the use of the gun room and servants’ dining room as bride and groom dressing rooms, the newly functional bathroom supports the cottage’s use as an historic venue space for weddings and other special events.

Currently, the Authority’s preservation team is working on an extensive basement structural repair. The team replaced a supporting beam and two damaged joists. They will soon add a vertical support to the basement structure. While working in the basement, members of the team discovered a 1902 contractor’s signature near an electrical fixture—likely left as the Jekyll Island Club prepared for the electrification of the island in 1903.

Finally, work in Hollybourne’s dining room continues. The preservation team applied finishes to the dining room’s interior. The dining room was cleaned and cleared out, while the walls were finished to exhibit level. In the cottage’s next phase, this room will house an exhibit interpreting Hollybourne’s decades-long preservation process. The rest of the cottage’s first floor will be included in the exhibit as well. While Hollybourne is an incredible and unique structure, the new exhibit will reach beyond its architecture to tell the story of the Maurice family and the house’s ongoing preservation. In the meantime, guests can join Mosaic for a daily tour of Hollybourne Cottage and see one of Jekyll Island’s most unique historic homes for themselves!

Mosaic’s 4th Anniversary

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Allison Dupuis, JIA Museum Educator

This April, Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, celebrates its fourth anniversary. Thousands of visitors have walked through the museum’s big red doors to experience Jekyll Island’s history. And what a rich history it is! In the museum gallery, visitors can listen to accounts of Wanderer survivors or a recording of the first transcontinental phone call, spearheaded by Jekyll Island Club member and AT&T president Theodore Vail in 1915. They can virtually “try on” outfits from the Gilded Age, explore an eagle’s nest, or take a spin around the island on a Red Bug. The museum’s lobby entrance, which features rotating exhibits, is preparing for its next exhibit launch in April as well. The gift shop pays homage to the building’s historical roots—it features some of the original structure that made this building the former Jekyll Island Club stables, complete with hay loft and a single (facsimile) horse.

Mosaic has certainly grown and remained dynamic since its opening day in 2019. Visitation numbers have grown, especially since the museum reopened after temporary closures due to the pandemic. In fact, at the end of the 2022 fiscal year, Mosaic’s annual visitation exceeded 50,000 people! Visitors take part in the museum’s trolley tours of the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark district, which run four times daily. They also come to the museum for special historic tours and programs, which have continued to grow over the past two calendar years. These programs have taken guests all over the island, from St. Andrews Beach for a Dolphin Club Days tour to the Horton House for Pistols and Privateers. In the near future, Mosaic will begin to host a slate of new and exciting programs. Guests can enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Mistletoe Cottage with April’s Cottage Spotlight, or can step back in time with Jekyll Island Club visitor Jean Struthers as part of the museum’s ongoing Living History Presents program.

There are exciting physical additions at Mosaic, too! Work has recently begun in earnest on the exterior paddock,” Mosaic’s outdoor education space. The paddock will host annual and seasonal programming and events. Work on the space is expected to be completed in mid-April, and the museum looks forward to utilizing this space to its fullest potential. To learn more or give to  this new addition, visit Mosaic Initiative. Make sure to keep up with all things Jekyll Island history by visiting Mosaic’s website.

Rich & Lynn

Meet Our Donors: Rich & Lynn Van Iderstyne

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

It’s fair to say their heads are often in the clouds, but Rich and Lynn Van Iderstyne are very aware and very connected to what’s happening on the ground at Jekyll Island.

Both long-time Delta Air Lines employees—he’s retired after serving 40 years as a pilot, she’s nearing just as many years of service as a flight attendant—they are caretakers of the Jekyll Island Airport, owners of Red Bug Motors, and proprietors of Red Bug Motors Pizza.

“I’ve known Jekyll since I was a child,” said Rich. “Most of my mom’s family is from southern Georgia and all the cousins would come here.” Years later, after moving to Atlanta, he owned a small airplane and was always looking for places to fly. He ended up cruising down to Jekyll almost every weekend because it was a “calm and relaxing” place in contrast to Atlanta’s hustle and bustle.

“It was also his favorite place to go on dates,” quipped Lynn. The two met on an airplane—by chance—while headed to Colorado’s Aspen Snowmass for a ski weekend. Married now for 27 years, they would split their time between Atlanta and Jekyll until son Daniel, now a pilot for Delta, graduated from high school and Jekyll then became their primary residence.

In 2005, when Delta filed for bankruptcy, they decided a back-up life plan might be wise. “We’d heard about the red bug cars that the millionaires brought to use for fun and easy transportation around the Island,” said Rich. So, they did their research on the original vehicles and reintroduced a modern, environmentally friendly, rentable version for residents and visitors.

“Then one year we were on Island for the Super Bowl and discovered that you couldn’t get a pizza delivered, so we opened up a pizza restaurant,” he said. For this venture, they carefully repurposed the former Great Dunes golf course  pro shop.

“It’s a beautiful little building that’s more than a business,” said Lynn. “It’s a family-friendly place for people to get together and make memories as well as share a good meal.”

While those businesses were taking flight, the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) recognized the couple’s commitment to the Island with the keys to welcome visitors to the the airport. “We completely redid the inside of the office and spruced up the outside,” said Rich. “We staffed it to greet pilots and their guests with a smile, helping them know where to visit while on Island and offering them two hours of free red bug rental.”

That enthusiasm for Jekyll led the JIA to tap the Van Iderstynes again when the state couldn’t help with critical repairs to some of the Historic District’s buildings. Rich was invited to become an advisory board member in the early days of the Jekyll Island Foundation and, along with several other very dedicated people, worked hard to raise funds through activities such as a golf tournament, family weekends, and festivals.

But Rich was also able to offer a unique opportunity. “I have a restored World War II plane and would offer rides to people, especially war veterans,” he said. “They would marvel at Jekyll from the air and when they tried to pay me, I would refuse by asking them to instead make a donation to the Foundation.”

The first project the Foundation helped to raise funding for was the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which currently operates in the Historic District’s Club-era power plant. A more recent Foundation fundraising initiative—Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum—also benefited from the Van Iderstynes.

“There’s a little area about the red bugs,” said Lynn. “We were so happy to have that piece of history highlighted and to contribute to Jekyll’s story.”

A story, they both feel, that keeps getting better. “There have been so many positive changes over the years,” said Rich. “The Island looks nicer than ever, and that’s because the JIA has done a great job of maintaining the balance between nature and development.”

“Being able to walk along the bike paths and see all the wildlife is so amazing,” said Lynn. “And living here with so many friends, such great neighbors, and so many things for people of any age to do and enjoy is also amazing.”

Asked to narrow down their Island ‘to do’ recommendations to one ‘not to be missed’ attraction, neither hesitates. “The heart of Jekyll is the Historic District,” said Rich. “It’s what really sets this Island apart, and I hope people spend time there…learning about the history and marveling at the architecture.”

Lynn, who had just recently been in Italy for work, added,” I walk through many historic places with my job as a flight attendant—places like Rome—and walking through the Historic District or really anywhere on Jekyll is just as satisfying to me!”

Meet Our Board: Gary & Kelli Wadsten

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

“Jekyll is not just a special place, it’s a holy place,” said Kelli Wadsten.

She and husband Gary Wadsten, an executive committee member for Jekyll Island Foundation’s Board of Directors, have been energized by – and fueling – this feeling for nearly a decade via Carolina Holdings Group (CHG), which has helped revitalize certain areas of the Island through residential real estate projects.

“It’s one of the most meaningful places we’ve ever been not just because of our business ventures but because of the people we’ve met and that special feeling you get when you drive onto the causeway,” she said.

For Gary, meeting people on Jekyll started as a youth, which may also have been when the seed was planted for him to eventually become a valued partner in the island’s revitalization. “My great aunt and uncle, Ruth and Lamar Hilton, were among the original [residential] housebuilders. I visited them a few times as a kid,” he said. “Coincidentally, my mom, Joan VanCampen, was part of this great group of friends who…for 20 years…spent January through March on Jekyll, always staying in the same group of rooms at the Quality Inn (now Seafarer Inn & Suites). And another relative—my uncle Rudy Kazenberger, who was part of that ‘snowbird’ group with my mom—was a longtime restoration volunteer for Hollybourne Cottage.”

In 2014, a former colleague called Gary about a potential opportunity on Jekyll. “I hadn’t been there in a very long time,” he said. CHG worked with a Florida bank that had taken possession of the old Clarion Oceanfront Resort, a property that was in terrible shape and needed to be demolished. Today it is known as The Cottages at Jekyll Island, an oceanfront residential community.

“Because of that project, I met a great friend who is also now a business partner,” said Gary. “And for a long time, Kelli and I owned one of the homes in The Cottages, where we really enjoyed sharing our love of the island with family and friends.”

The success of The Cottages led to being trusted with a second project, Ocean Oaks at Jekyll Island, a joint venture with Delaware-based Leon Weiner & Associates, and now a third: The Moorings at Jekyll Harbor.

“Gary doesn’t shy away from projects that others might think are too challenging,” said Kelli, referring to the state legislation in place that govern how much as well as how development occurs on the island, which is a state park.

“The [Jekyll Island] Authority has done a great job of championing—and inviting others to share in the vision of—conservation,” said Gary. “I have tremendous respect for the delicate balance of the situation and want to do what’s right for Jekyll.”

This perspective is what also led them to give back and get more involved. “We didn’t know when we did The Cottages that there would be other opportunities,” said Kelli, “but we felt it was important to be part of Jekyll in every way we could.” They started by being one of the sponsors for the island’s annual Shrimp & Grits Festival, which is where they had their first significant encounter with the Foundation.

“[Foundation Executive Director] Dion walked right up and started talking to me,” said Gary. “Her energy and enthusiasm for all things Jekyll was just so compelling.”

That enthusiasm, coupled with the vision and commitment of the Foundation Board, influenced CHG to provide a corporate investment in Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum. Later, it also prompted a resounding ‘yes’ from Gary when he was asked to serve on the Board. “As a non-native Georgian, I was blown away by the invitation,” he said. “I love that I have another platform from which I can shout loud and proud about my love for Jekyll.”

Now five years into his Board service, Gary is looking forward to using that platform to raise awareness and support for the Foundation’s next big project: a capital campaign to raise funding for renovations and expansion of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. “It’s going to be one of the biggest undertakings in the organization’s history and it’s going to be one of the Island’s biggest opportunities for outreach,” he said.

And while Gary and Kelli have been an integral part of the Island’s revitalization over the past decade, they also respect there’s a limit. “We think it would be wonderful for Jekyll to continue to grow in popularity as long as that’s not at the expense of its integrity,” she said. “It’s hard to find a place where you can drown out the noise, but when we walk or run or bike those trails, it feels like no other place in the world. It feels like heaven.”