Category: About

By Dion Davis

JIF Executive Director

As I write this, it is mid-August, and with the rain that made its way across the Golden Isles last week, the marshes of Glynn, normally beige and brown, are lush and green. They lie at the base of the Sidney Lanier Bridge as a portrait of beauty, teeming with nature and life. Continuing across the Jekyll Island causeway, multiple species of birds soar gently on the breeze. It’s a good day, and I am thankful.

Just as the colors of the marsh change with the seasons, so does the Jekyll Island Foundation. With wonderful leadership and a well-laid foundation comes growth—strong and steady. Some of our progress you can see publicly. But some is behind the scenes, quietly making your time on Jekyll, as a resident or as a seasonal guest, more relaxing and enjoyable.  

Increase comes in many forms: in nature, wildlife, and historic research projects; through relationship building with friends who become family; and in organizational upgrades. There are thousands of guests enjoying the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, our new Mosaic Museum, and Jekyll’s multiple viewing platforms and nature trails. Practical maintenance—on historic cottages, wildlife transport vans, or ATV’s—is happening all around.

For those who may have just tuned in, let’s take a quick journey back at what we’ve accomplished together and a glance at what’s to come.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center

• GSTC – preserved and repurposed power plant
• wildlife transport + utility terrain vehicles
• surgical + medical supplies
• laser, x-ray, endoscopy, ultrasound, + laparoscopic equipment
• rehabilitation tanks
• hospital pavilion upgrades
• Diamondback Terrapin – drone equipment + research projects
• UGA/GSTC graduate research assistantships
• GSTC education + veterinary staff interns
• gift store remodel

Conservation

• St. Andrews Beach + Guest Information wildlife viewing platforms
• Horton Pond basking + viewing platforms + nature trail
• Horton Pond-to-Horton House historic nature trail
• migratory nesting bird research
• bobcat reproduction study
• amphibians, alligator, + snake research

Historic Preservation

• Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum project
• cottage restoration + exhibits: Indian Mound Cottage, Villa Ospo + Hollybourne Cottage
• Skeet House relocation + revitalization project

What’s on the horizon for JIF?

Mosaic Museum Phase II—The Paddock Outdoor Education Space—will serve as a multi-purpose outdoor location for interactive and explorative learning on Jekyll.

Coming in the fall are a new corporate sponsor program, membership upgrades, new tribute gift options, and in time—a GSTC capital campaign.

Visit the Jekyll Island online store and support the GSTC, conservation, or historic preservation through online donations.  

On behalf of the Jekyll Island Foundation Board of Directors, thank you! We look forward to many years of continued partnerships, making new friends, and growing together.

Welcome back to one of Jekyll’s best places to learn the hidden lessons of nature and all about alligators.

By Ben Carswell

JIA Director of Conservation

For the wildlife denizens of Jekyll Island’s Horton Pond, the year 2020 has been… unremarkable. Despite the historic challenges that are taking place in the larger world, the relatively peaceful natural realm surrounding Horton Pond continues as though nothing is afoot. Visitors and residents can take comfort in knowing that this serene refuge has also continued to bring peace and healing relief through the improvements that the Jekyll Island Foundation funded in 2014.

In Spring, alligators awoke from their winter torpor and went about their usual grumbly mating rituals, occasionally scattering the turtle squad gathered on the basking platform with no care for social distance. Wood ducks moved back into the Pond’s nesting box. Now in Summer, the Kingfisher’s rattling call echoes from water’s edge to the tops of the tall pines. Night herons peer out from shadowy shrubs along the bank. The anhinga somehow achieves a comic beauty despite appearing to be a mashup of a turkey, a fish, and a snake. The dragon flies have arrived now. They are hunters of insects, but they are hunted themselves, from below by bass in the pond and from above by swallow-tailed kites whose unmatched regal grace in the skies inspires faith that the world shall overcome.

In this timeless theater of biodiversity, the show flows on, and the island is delighted to be able to share this encore with you again, through our Gatorology program. This Ranger led experience focuses on instilling appreciation, knowledge, and respect for the ancient American Alligator. Now an even more intimate educational experience, the maximum number of tickets per session has been lowered to six. We hope you’ll join us!

Gatorology is offered at the Horton Pond observation deck each Wednesday and Friday from 11:00 am – 12 noon through September.

To support CONSERVATION efforts on Jekyll Island, click HERE.

By Kaylee Johnson

JIA Mosaic Museum Assistant Manager

For the first time in 130 years, Hollybourne cottage will be open to the public for regular visitation! Tours of this cottage are no longer only held in the month of May but will be done twice daily beginning this month. Beginning July 1, 2020, Jekyll Island guests can explore this impressive building while on the Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum’s Bridgebuilder’s Cottage tour.

Hollybourne cottage, built in 1890, was the winter vacation home of Pennsylvanian Charles Stewart Maurice, his wife Charlotte, and their nine children. For fifty years the Maurice family wintered here on Jekyll Island in their spacious tabby house. Charles, a bridge builder, included several bridge building techniques in the construction of his holiday home, like the loadbearing trusses in the walls and attic and pier support system in the basement.

The Mosaic’s incredible interpretive staff invite island guests to join them on a basement-to-attic guided tour of Hollybourne. Tour-goers will get to dive into the history of the Maurice family’s stays on Jekyll Island and their involvement with the historic Jekyll Island Club, the fascinating construction methods employed in the building of this cottage, and current preservation projects that are still under way.

The preservation of Hollybourne has been a long, and still ongoing, journey. For well over twenty years dedicated volunteers and staff, and generous donors, have labored to return this cottage to its Gilded Age glory. We would like to thank all involved for making the reopening of Hollybourne to the public a possibility.

Click historic tours for more information. To reserve a seat on the Bridgebuilder’s Cottage tour click HERE or call the Mosaic Gift Shop at (912) 635-4036. To support, text JekyllMosaic + $ amount to (844) 899-2692 and follow the prompts.

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.