Tag: nature

Crawling into Nesting Season

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

With May 1st marking the official start of turtle nesting season along the Georgia coast, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is already busy patrolling Jekyll Island’s causeway for diamondback terrapins and beaches for nesting sea turtles.

DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS

The GSTC and Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) donors have partnered for nearly 10 years in diamondback terrapin rescue, research, and implementation of various protection methods during nesting season. These efforts focus on decreasing terrapin road mortality rates. The GSTC’s diamondback terrapin patrol team routinely drive the causeway in search of nesting mamas crossing the road and inspecting nest boxes for similar signs. Recently, JIF and ANIMEX, a new partner, donated fencing materials that were installed on either side of the entrance to Jekyll’s causeway, adding one more component used to help decrease terrapin roadway mortality rates.

SEA TURTLES

And along the beaches these ancient reptiles emerge from the ocean to begin nesting as early as May. Fertile turtles crawl slowly to the dunes, enter a trance as their eggs drop into the sand, laying over 100 ping-pong ball-like eggs under the cover of darkness. Then, the GSTC Sea Turtle Patrol Team jumps into action gathering measurements, identification information, and ensuring the nest is protected from predators and human disturbances. The data collected helps inform local, regional, and international conservation efforts.

Jekyll Island visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of this once-in-a-lifetime experience can join GSTC educators under the stars by registering for an Evening Turtle Walk or Ride with Night Patrol on select nights in June and July. There’s no guarantee a nesting turtle will appear, but the evening promises to make the night memorable!

The GSTC hospital and patrol teams continue to work diligently to rescue and rehabilitate these gentler creatures. Investments of any size are welcome and appreciate. GIVE NOW.

Here before you know it!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Ben Carswell, JIA Director of Conservation and Sustainability

This year, 2022, marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Jekyll Island State Park. And yet, many visitors to Jekyll Island never know that this unique place contains more than just the Island itself. In fact, by the time one slows to make the turn from Highway 17 onto the Downing Musgrove Causeway, they have already crossed into its welcoming boundaries. The six miles of causeway to follow offers expansive views across nearly 7,000 acres of tidal marshlands brimming with biological diversity and dotted with forested marsh hammock isle-lets, all of which lies within the Park’s boundary. This lesser-known side of Jekyll Island, known as the “back-barrier marshes” covers more area than the Island itself and supports over half of the Wildlife Priority Species identified in the Jekyll Island Conservation Plan.

Like its State Park boundary, the work of the Jekyll Island Foundation doesn’t stop at the foot of the bridge onto the Island. The Jekyll Island Conservation Plan sets forth the following management priorities for the Causeway and back-barrier marshes:

  1. Minimize vehicle strike mortality of Wildlife Priority Species
  2. Reduce immigration of exotic-invasive plants and animals
  3. Prevent loss of elevation due to erosion or compaction of soils surrounding the Causeway
  4. Promote habitat diversity
  5. Maintain a safe and enjoyable experience for drivers and cyclists that affords opportunities to appreciate the natural beauty and abundance of wildlife evident upon arriving

The excellent work spearheaded by the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to better understand and protect Diamondback Terrapins along the Causeway is a shining example for how Foundation dollars can make a difference towards achieving these goals. Another For the Record piece this month highlights the latest big step in efforts to help terrapins avoid roadway hazards. And coming soon, thanks to generous donor support through the Foundation, the Jekyll Island Authority will be able to add a mile of new native wildflower meadow along the east end of the Causeway, making arrival to the Island even more welcoming, not just for human visitors, but for pollinating bees and butterflies as well.

The Causeway and back-barrier marshes are a truly special part of the Jekyll Island experience that connects the Island with the broader community of Brunswick and the Golden Isles, mutually strengthening the well-being of many. The next time you turn onto the Jekyll Island Causeway, take your time, breath in the fresh air, brake for terrapins, and think about giving to the Jekyll Island Foundation. Your contributions go a long way towards empowering better stewardship of every corner of Jekyll Island State Park.   

Providing for Wildlife at Horton Pond

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Yank Moore, JIA Natural Resources Manager

Horton Pond has become a destination for many guests and their families while visiting Jekyll. The wildlife viewing area, basking platform, and nature trail funded by the Jekyll Island Foundation allows visitors a chance to experience the American Alligator, Night Herons, Wood Ducks, and various other wildlife in their natural habitat. The JIA Conservation team’s goal for this project has been to provide a space for people to enjoy nature while improving habitat value for wildlife, increase educational opportunities, and encourage guests to become better stewards of the environment.

Beyond what is visible to the public, the JIA’s Conservation Department manages Horton Pond to be as productive and natural as possible without using harsh chemicals or other invasive means of control. Instead, sterile grass carp were introduced to eat the underwater aquatic plants that would normally take herbicide to control, and a recently installed solar aeration system to supply much needed oxygen for fish and other underwater wildlife to flourish.

Recently another upgrade was made to the pond. Funded by generous donors of the Jekyll Island Foundation, a solar aeration system was installed to not only provide oxygen, but enhance water quality, limit excess nutrients, and keep algae from causing issues for wildlife. Horton Pond is man-made and has no natural water input like a stream or river so it must rely on surface runoff and groundwater. Without management this pond could suffer from a stagnation effect and without the aeration system the pond could go through cycles of bad health. The system installed at Horton Pond is powered completely by a solar panel harnessing the power of the sun and is efficient enough with timers and controls to run even on cloudy days.

To see the system in action, visit Horton Pond early in the mornings when aeration system is on and when the pond needs it the most.

The “ology” of Gatorology

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Ray Emerson, JIA Lead Park Ranger

“What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word alligator?”  This is the opening question guests are asked by Jekyll Island Park Rangers at the extremely popular Gatorology experience at Horton Pond. Responses range from “awesome”, “dinosaur”, “big”, “teeth”, to “fear”, “eat me”, and “scary”.

“We are most interested in responses similar to those last three – fear, eat me, and scary, ” says JIA Lead Park Ranger Ray Emerson. “It’s important that people understand that they really don’t need to fear these beautiful animals but give them respect they deserve and don’t EVER try to approach, touch, or especially feed an alligator or any other wild creature.”

Gatorology sessions educate guests on a variety of topics, beginning with the history of alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from prehistoric times up until modern day, as well as their presence on Jekyll Island.  

Next, Rangers discuss research conducted – previous and ongoing – on these true dinosaurs. One of the things staff and volunteers enjoy most is guest reactions after learning that the first true alligator fossil was discovered in 1911 in Montana!!

The highlight of the day is when each guest is afforded an opportunity to see a baby gator up close and even touch it if they like. This is truly an unforgettable experience, especially for the kids whose parents are ready with cameras to document this moment of a lifetime. The alligator “educational representatives” are born at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida, and are bred and raised specifically as captive educational animals.

The session wraps up with a re-emphasis of the Don’t Approach, Don’t Touch, Don’t Feed message with the hope that it will really resonate and stick. “If everyone takes even one thing away from our message today it’s communicate this to friends and family and make it a habit in their lives … then we’ve hit a home run,” says Lead Ranger Emerson.

Gatorology takes place April through September at Horton Pond, a wildlife viewing area made possible by funding from Jekyll Island Foundation donors. The Conservation Department is grateful for the support which makes educational experiences like this possible. For more information or to purchase tickets, click HERE.

Jekyll Island: Better Together

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Ben Carswell, JIA Director of Conservation

Partnership is essential to success in nature and in society. Without mutually beneficial relationships with pollinating insects and fungi, the vast and complex plant communities that green our world would never have come to be. The same can be said for the greening of Jekyll Island. Whether advancing wildlife conservation, ecosystem restoration, or sustainability, the phrase that became a global mantra in 2020, “we are all in this together”, remains vitally true.

Since 1999, the partnership between the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) and the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA) has been a mutually beneficial relationship built around bringing to life projects that elevate conservation, preservation, and education goals within Jekyll Island State Park. This relationship produced the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, which catalyzed conservation efforts within the JIA that continue to bear fruit. Many other achievements, like the outdoor recreation, education, and wildlife enhancements at Horton Pond, which has become a favorite spot for families exploring Jekyll Island, and Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, which keeps Jekyll’s past alive and reminds us that nature connects us all to it, were made possible because of partnership, between JIF and JIA, and our many donors.

The roots of Jekyll Island’s partnership ecosystem extend outward as well, nourishing work that connects Jekyll Island with other institutions, whether public, private, or NGO, that are leading the way in our State. The possibilities for doing good on Jekyll Island are vastly expanded because of the care and collaboration extended by our colleagues at, among many others, Georgia Audubon, Georgia Power Company, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and forward-thinking businesses like LNW Hospitality and Cherry Street Energy that look beyond profits to realize the power of their investments to bring about positive transformations.

The key to winning partnerships is broadening our imaginations to realize how much our interests can overlap and how much stronger our accomplishments are when we work together for the greater good. There is no better crucible for this than Jekyll Island, a place that brings people together and where the beauty of the natural world unfolds daily before our eyes – inspiring us to higher ideals.

Become a partner, member, or corporate sponsor today. Click HERE.

Nesting Loggerheads

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Davide Zailo, Research Specialist, and Dr. Tom Radzio, Research Ecologist

Here on Jekyll Island, the unofficial start of summer is heralded by the arrival of nesting loggerhead sea turtles. These behemoths of the ocean can reach over 300 pounds and lay up to seven nests of 100+ eggs each in a single season. Some turtles will place all their nests on Jekyll Island whereas others will distribute them among multiple islands. Nesting females are at least 25 years old and very important to the survival of their species. Counting and studying nests allows us to estimate numbers of adult females and determine whether our loggerhead population is increasing, stable, or declining. The long-term data suggest a slowly increasing population, rebounding from dangerous lows at the turn of the century.

Monitoring loggerhead nesting and performing conservation-oriented studies is the responsibility of the JIA Georgia Sea Turtle Center Research Team, which includes two staff members and a talented and dedicated group of AmeriCorps Service Members. This summer, the research will include a new component, work to better understand how nest temperature influences egg development and hatchling characteristics, such as size. After hitting the books and training hard for two months, AmeriCorps Service Members start patrolling the beach in early May.  This is an exciting time as the anticipation of finding the first nest of the season builds day by day!  

From May to July, the GSTC Research Team patrols Jekyll Island’s beaches throughout the night to encounter as many nesting loggerhead sea turtles as possible. These ‘Night Patrols’ allow the team to study females directly, collect nest data, and provide unforgettable experiences for guests in our nighttime Education programs. To ensure that nesting is not interrupted, researchers carefully watch emerging turtles from a distance until they start to lay eggs. At that point, females enter a ‘nesting trance,’ which allows them to be safely examined.

At 6:00 am, a smaller team takes over to perform daily morning surveys. These ‘Dawn Patrols’ cover all of Jekyll Island’s beaches for a thorough accounting of nests laid during the previous night. Dawn Patrol crews also perform a daily check of each nest to document its progress throughout incubation, a process that requires about 50-65 days, depending on nest temperature. Five days after hatchlings emerge, the nest is carefully excavated to assess egg hatching success and collect other information. In addition to valuable data, excavations provide wonderful opportunities for public engagement, including the chance to see a live hatchling.  

These efforts would not be possible without your continued interest and support. We thank you as we strive to learn more about our native wildlife and build towards a more sustainable future. Here’s to a happy and productive turtle nesting season!

To support the ongoing work of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE.