Tag: research

Birding for Beginners

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Yank Moore, JIA Director of Conservation

Birding on Jekyll Island: A Beginner’s Guide

Birding is a rewarding and enriching hobby that connects individuals with nature. For beginners, diving into the world of birding can be both exciting and overwhelming. Jekyll Island is a birder’s paradise offering over 300 documented species. From tiny Northern Parulas to majestic American White Pelicans, this barrier island is teeming with avian life. Whether you’re a seasoned birdwatcher or just starting out, Jekyll provides a diverse and accessible environment for observing these fascinating creatures.

Where to Spot Birds

  • Viewing Platform: Located behind Guest Information at the entrance to the gate.
  • St. Andrews Beach Viewing Platform: Located at the end of the Wanderer Memorial Trail, this platform offers stunning views of the beach and its birdlife.
  • Horton Pond Viewing Platform: A great spot for observing waterfowl and other water-loving birds.
  • ME Thompson Memorial Bridge Deck: This elevated walkway provides opportunities to see birds in the surrounding marsh and woodland habitats.
  • Bike Trails: Jekyll Island’s extensive network of bike trails offers many opportunities for birdwatching as you explore the island.

Tips for Beginner Birders

  • Start with the Basics: Familiarize yourself with common bird species in your area by investing in field guides or downloading birding apps. These resources can help you identify birds based on their appearance, habitat, and behaviors.
  • Practice Patience: Birding requires patience and attentiveness. Spend time quietly observing your surroundings, listen for bird calls, and scan the area with your binoculars. Remember, birds may not always be immediately visible, so patience is key.
  • Choose the Right Time and Place: Birds are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Plan your birding expeditions during these times for the best chance of spotting a variety of species. Visit a variety of habitats, such as forests, wetlands, and coastlines, to encounter different species.
  • Respect Wildlife and Habitat: Observe birds from a distance to avoid disturbing them or their habitats. Stay on designated trails, refrain from making loud noises, and follow local regulations for wildlife observation. Jekyll is a State Park with a goal for visitors and wildlife to coexist without conflict.
  • Embrace the Adventure: Birding is more than just checking off a list of species. It’s about immersing yourself in nature and appreciating its beauty. Approach with a sense of curiosity, enjoy the journey, and discover the wonders of the natural world.

Supporting Bird Conservation on Jekyll

The Jekyll Island Authority’s Conservation team has been dedicated to bird conservation for over a decade through research, monitoring, and habitat restoration. The Jekyll Island Foundation has been a vital partner in supporting these efforts. If you’d like to contribute to bird conservation on Jekyll, click here.

Meet Our Donors: The Olsons

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Louise and Scott Olson traveled 1,100 miles from their home in northern Illinois to Jekyll Island, leaving behind their fast-paced suburban lifestyle. In 2018, during a rain-soaked trip to the north Georgia Mountains in their motor home, Louise did a Google search for a “coastal campground with a dog-friendly beach” and found sunny weather at Jekyll Island. They quickly packed up and by the end of the day, had crossed the causeway, the first of many, a moment that would define an important chapter in their lives.

They stayed at the campground for ten days, arriving during vintage camper weekend. The campground’s ambiance, despite the gnats, the friendliness of fellow campers, and the passion of those who restored vintage campers, immediately drew them in. It was a unique camping experience. The proximity to the beaches and the joy of enjoying them with their three Goldendoodles made for the perfect recipe for fun and relaxation.

Inspired by their experience, they returned in early 2019 with plans to purchase a second home nearby for retirement. Soon after, Scott retired, and they relocated permanently from their lifelong Midwestern home.

As a child, Louise’s family vacations focused on historical trips to the mid-Atlantic and northeast. Her mother meticulously researched historical sites and typed detailed day-by-day overviews of their visits. Louise still has these booklets and marvels at the time and effort her mother put into preparing them. This fueled Louise’s love for visiting historical sites.

Louise and Scott sought opportunities to learn about the history of Jekyll Island and began contributing to the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) to help with the island’s preservation. Louise’s employer, Discover Financial, matched their donations. The island’s rich historical significance, coupled with its natural beauty, soon drew Louise and Scott to visit regularly from their nearby home. They celebrated special occasions at the island’s restaurants and enjoyed live music venues.

In early 2023, Scott lost a brief, hard-fought battle with a recurrence of gastric cancer. They had married just seven years earlier and enjoyed many travel adventures, but none more frequently than to Jekyll Island.

To honor Scott, Louise reached out to JIF discuss a tribute and find an available bench. In late 2023, Louise, her family, and friends gathered to dedicate the bench. “I find great peace and energy at the bench and have met others who share their love for particular benches for various reasons. Each bench has a beautiful story to tell,” Louise said.

In this new chapter of her life, Louise finds comfort and safety on solo visits to the island whether dining out at the Wharf and enjoying live music, visiting the [Georgia Sea] Turtle Center and Horton Pond, joining ranger-led nature walks, or riding along on the [Landmark Trolley] history tour. The historical tours and the [Georgia Sea] Turtle Center are her passions. Now, newly retired, she hopes to one day become a volunteer.

Pumps Make the Water Go Round

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

by Rachel Overmeyer, GSTC Rehabilitation Program Manager    

When guests walk into the hospital pavilion at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC), not only will they find sea turtles, but also a massive amount of…water. Water may seem like a strange thing to notice, but water, and more importantly the quality of that water, is essential to the care of the patients. Proper nutrition and medical care go hand in hand with water quality to give patients the best care that they need.

The GSTC places a strong emphasis on water quality to ensure the health and recovery of its sea turtle patients. The water in the tanks is meticulously monitored and maintained, with key parameters like pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ozone, and chlorine levels being crucial for the well-being of the turtles. These parameters are part of the marine nitrogen cycle, and their buildup can be harmful to the animals.

To manage water quality, the GSTC uses a sophisticated system of pumps and filtration loops. Each tank system has four pumps that continuously move water through three different filtration loops, ensuring it is clean and safe before returning to the tank. These pumps are essential for maintaining the water’s cleanliness but are subject to wear and tear, similar to car engines.

Additionally, the GSTC uses a heat exchanger to regulate the water temperature, which is vital for sea turtles as they are ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, and cannot regulate their own body temperature. This system helps in gradually warming up cold-stunned turtles or maintaining the optimal temperature for other patients.

The recent purchase of new centrifugal pumps, seal kits, and a heat exchanger, funded by the Jekyll Island Foundation, highlights the vital importance of donor contributions.

If you’re interested in supporting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, click HERE, or learning more about the Jekyll Island Foundation, visit jekyllislandfoundation.org.

Diamondback Terrapin Nesting Season – Coming to a Close

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Information provided by Davide Zailo, GSTC Research Program Manager

Final Update – July 26, 2024

  • First Terrapin Encounter: May 1, 2024
  • Most recent terrapin encounter: July 21, 2024 – 10:19 am
  • Total encounters: 492
  • Number of Unique Individual Terrapins:  ~ 393
    • Terrapins can nest multiple times per year. GSTC teams recaptured two terrapins, four times this season, and 27 individuals were captured at least twice this season.
  • Terrapins alive, uninjured: 388 (79%)
  • Terrapins hit by car: 104 (21%)
    • 10 undergoing rehabilitation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center
    • 248 eggs saved from 50 hit-by-car terrapins. These eggs are currently being incubated. 70 have hatched.

* Remember that swerving to miss terrapins and/or exiting a vehicle to assist a terrapin are both significant hazards, and you should prioritize your own safety on the road. Should you see a terrapin, or have a concern, please alert GSTC staff directly using the Terrapin Hotline at 912-270-8865.

GIVE NOW

Thank you for your support and assistance during this busy season!

With the overwhelming majority of terrapin nesting complete, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) is calling an official end to a successful 2024 Diamondback terrapin nesting season. In the coming weeks, an occasional nesting female may be found, and hatching will be occurring in nests along the causeway. Some of the hatchlings will dig their way out immediately; others will remain approximately six inches underground and emerge as winter is ending.

Since 2007, GSTC has worked to quantify and mitigate terrapin road mortality. Throughout the nesting season of May through July, GSTC staff regularly monitor the causeway to perform a census of the terrapins.

Injured animals receive treatment at the GSTC Hospital, while uninjured individuals are uniquely marked and released away from the road. These marked terrapins are key to understanding the proportion of the nesting population which succumbs to road mortality, and the information is used to assess whether the population is growing, stable, or declining.

A little history about Davide Zailo….

Between 2014-2016 Davide was awarded a student assistantship at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center while working towards a master’s degree in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development at the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology. During his assistantship, which was funded by JIF and a Coastal Incentive Grant from GDNR via NOAA, Zailo studied the movements and behavior of priority turtle species on Jekyll. Support from JIF donors funded the purchase of much-needed research equipment including a drone and GPS tracking equipment. The drone and GPS methods Zailo produced have been utilized by researchers studying a variety of wildlife throughout North America. After a brief stint with the Georgia DNR in winter 2020-2021 working with North Atlantic Right Whales, Davide returned to the GSTC and is currently the Center’s Research Program Manager, leading a staff of eight research technicians.

Meet Our Board: Christie Kinsey

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

It only took one visit to Jekyll Island for Christie to fall in love. It was 1976 when she first crossed the then draw bridge and saw the welcome sign to the little island that would change her life. Her cousins had moved here from New York and prompted the visit. “The beaches, the history, the wildlife, the bike paths, the oaks, the ocean – it all fueled my desire to live here one day.”

Christie longed for the island life. “From biking around to playing tennis in the Morgan Center [formerly an indoor tennis court], I thought this was paradise!” She visited as often as possible, trading in the mountains of West Virginia for the sandy beaches of Georgia whenever she could – each visit refueling her commitment to one day fulfil her dream of calling Jekyll Island home.

In 1990, she gave the island an even bigger piece of her heart, marrying her husband Tim at the historic Faith Chapel. They filled the church with their immediate family members and their cousins’ friends from around the island, saying “I do” in the beautiful light shimmering through the [one-of-a-kind Tiffany Studios] stained-glass windows.  

In 2015, Christie and Tim celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a visit to the island in search of the perfect cottage or home to purchase. “We bought our house on North Riverview Drive that week and the excitement began!” Christie still remembers the butterflies she got when they signed the closing paperwork, realizing her dream was becoming a reality. They made the move from West Virginia and began turning the house into their perfect home with some extensive remodeling. By 2020, Georgia had become their permanent resident state.

With the move, Christie knew she wanted to be involved in two things: the Jekyll Island Arts Association and the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF). Having served on various boards during her career as a Financial Advisor with Northwestern Mutual, she knew the integral role that foundations have in the success of an organization. After getting involved with the Jekyll Island Foundation, she realized the immense impact philanthropy has on their beloved island, helping to fund important island initiatives and projects for the Jekyll Island Authority (JIA).

Since she’s been on the JIF board, Christie and her husband have adopted a cabbage palm tree at Faith Chapel in honor of her cousins, The Bromsteds, who first brought her to Jekyll. They’ve installed a bench in memory of their parents and planted live oaks in memory of her sisters. They’ve also been involved in the Muhly Grass restoration project, as well as the bat boxes and Chimney Swift towers projects. “The Foundation is the vehicle through which donors can help make a positive impact on the present and future of this unique place,” Christie explains.

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to their perfect paradise, but Christie believes this little island off the coast of Georgia is one of our country’s best kept secrets. While many of her friends have chosen to retire to other beach towns along the coast, she believes the reason Jekyll will always remain the best is that it will always keep its peaceful, as-is charm, knowing it will never be overdeveloped. And working with a board that shares that vision is one of the things she loves most. “The best part about Jekyll Island is its commitment to maintaining a balance between nature and humans. The Foundation’s mission to raise funds to help conserve and preserve the Island as we know it is the primary reason I wanted to be involved as a donor and Board Member.” 

It’s been almost 50 years since Christie made her first memories on Jekyll Island, adding to them along the way with collecting shells, admiring the spectacular sunsets, getting a glimpse of the occasional alligator, or spending dinnertime crabbing in the backwash areas. Over the years, her adoration for this place has only grown. “Every day my love for Jekyll and my passion for its future increases.” She loves the life she and her husband have built here, enjoying everything the island has to offer and vowing to continue giving to it even more, offering her time and resources to be a positive piece of Jekyll Island’s ongoing progress.

Unearthing Loggerhead Nesting Mysteries

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

By Davide Zailo, GSTC Research Program Manager

Studying the management and conservation needs of loggerhead sea turtles on Jekyll Island is the responsibility of the research department of the Jekyll Island Authority’s Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC). Each spring the GSTC is proud to continue their work with these iconic species and continue one of the oldest loggerhead nesting beach projects in the world.

Thanks to generous support from Jekyll Island Foundation donors, utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) allow researchers on nighttime beach patrol to cover a large expanse of beach in order to maximize the chances of encountering as many adult, reproductive, loggerhead turtles on Jekyll.

Recently, the Foundation provided monetary support to assist with the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Loggerhead Genetics Project. This funding will enable researchers to continue collecting skin biopsies and one single egg from loggerheads nesting on Jekyll. The DNA contained in the skin biopsies and eggs provides crucial information that collaborators at UGA will use to identify these animals. In the case of the egg, researchers removing  one egg from each nest will help identify the animal even if it is not directly encountered. The skin biopsy allows GSTC research collaborators to test methods by double-checking that genetic material from a skin biopsy matches that of an egg from the same parent.

This multi-state genetics project led by UGA helps answer critical questions such as: how many nests these animals lay each year and where and how frequently they nest. Currently, the actual number of loggerhead sea turtles that nest along the Atlantic seaboard from Virginia to northern Florida (an area known as the Northern Recovery Unit for loggerhead turtles) is not known. By continuing this work, the GSTC research team are contributing to one of the most robust nesting loggerhead sea turtle datasets worldwide.

These efforts are made possible through funding received from the Jekyll Island Foundation. For more than 14 years, the Foundation has supported GSTC Research efforts through funding equipment and tools necessary to do their job.

Please join us in kicking off the start of Sea Turtle Season by taking part in the annual Turtle Crawl event on April 27,  2024, at the Jekyll Island Beach Village. Participants may choose between a 10K, 5K, 1K Fun Run or even a ‘Virtual” Ghost Crawler. This fundraiser serves as a way for dedicated patrons to support the Center and has raised over $163,000 since its inception.

Can’t come to the event but still wish to support sea turtles? Follow THIS LINK to give directly to the Center.

Thank you again for your continued support.

Meet Our Donors: Joel and Rosemary McElhannon

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

Worth the Drive: Fifteen Years of Family Visits to Jekyll

The drive from home in Athens, Georgia, to Jekyll Island is nearly three hundred miles for the McElhannon family—usually a full five hours in the car. But once Joel and Rosemary and their daughters, Maryn and Cora, reach the shores of Jekyll Island, the road trip becomes just a distant memory. The family hears the soft waves of the Atlantic, smells the distinct salty air, and sees the shimmering sand around them. Time on Jekyll is always worth the effort of the trip.

For the McElhannons, a visit to Jekyll Island means they’re coming back to a place where so many happy life memories and moments unfolded and where so many more are ready to be created. 

It All Started at the Chapel

Though not Jekyll natives, the McElhannons started their life together on this pristine island when Joel proposed to Rosemary in August 2008, right inside the historic Faith Chapel. Since 1904, Jekyll’s Faith Chapel has hosted hundreds of blissful unions, and the McElhannons chose to say their vows in this beautiful little building. The cypress-shingle ceiling, heart pine wood floors, and Tiffany studio stained-glass window created a warm, intimate setting for the ceremony.

After their chapel wedding in February 2009, Joel and Rosemary enjoyed an elegant reception at the historic Crane Cottage down the road, and even made their first donations as a family to the Jekyll Island Foundation and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center in honor of their wedding guests.

History to Enjoy Together Now

Since 2009, the family’s adventures on Jekyll Island have continued, combined with personal investment in this island paradise. Spending time together in this place has always been a priority—Joel and Rosemary are bringing their girls along to celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary at Jekyll this year. And they’ve donated regularly to the various initiatives of the Jekyll Island Foundation to help make sure that they and others can continue to enjoy this favorite vacation spot.

“We have always been very involved in supporting historic preservation projects,” Rosemary explained. “And we believe it is important to be stewards of the past—to pass it on to future generations. Jekyll Island has so much history, such a legacy, but few people know about it!”

On a recent trip to Jekyll, Joel and Rosemary asked their girls what they loved most about Jekyll, and they had no trouble answering: bike riding, Driftwood Beach, fried shrimp, and sea turtles. During Spring Break, they’ve all found weather on Jekyll to be perfect for bike riding and exploring the island. And it has become a tradition for them to enjoy the week with their grandparents, Ned and Claire Harbeson, who have owned property on Jekyll for nearly twenty years.

“The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a huge draw for the girls,” the McElhannons stated. “Every time they’re on the island, they have to stop by to see the patients. There are few places where you can safely get up close with wildlife, so the center is a great way to teach the girls what it takes to care for the wildlife of the island.”

The girls’ ability to enjoy the natural beauty of the island is another benefit of the family’s Jekyll trips. “I can’t tell you how many hours the girls have spent slowly trolling Sharktooth Beach and Driftwood Beach, bent over at the waist, looking for shells, teeth, and other treasures,” Rosemary explains. “Hours can pass, and they are perfectly content. In this age of screens and videos games, that’s a really incredible thing!”

Meanwhile, Rosemary and Joel love to stroll around the Jekyll Island Historic District to see how things have changed over the years. As the Jekyll Island Foundation celebrates and commemorates its twenty-fifth year, the McElhannons are thankful to be a part of the steady work of raising funds for conservation, preservation, and education initiatives through their charitable giving. “The ongoing preservation efforts make us feel good,” Joel says, “because we know we are part of that effort.”

Acres & Acres of Muhly Grass!

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

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

Muhly grass, also known as sweetgrass, is a welcome sight for visitors coming to Jekyll Island, especially in the fall when the lush pink blooms sway in the coastal breeze. This visual experience has taken years of effort to develop, as the natural pockets of Muhly grass on Jekyll are at risk of being lost. The habitat, often referred to as a Muhly Meadow or Maritime Grassland, has immense value serving as home to a variety of animals including birds, mammals, and insects along with significant cultural value as a staple of the Gullah Geechee community. The JIA Conservation Department realized the importance of Muhly grass-developed partnerships and devoted time to saving this community.

In 2022, one of those partners, Birds Georgia, formerly Georgia Audubon, assisting in securing critical funding to initiate the process of restoring Muhly grass to a significant stretch along Beachview Drive. This location was chosen due to its prominence just north of Oceanview Beach Park, and to allow this magnificent habitat’s return to the landscape to be witnessed by all. With the help of volunteers from the community, Birds Georgia, and the Garden Club of Jekyll Island, over 30,000 plugs, or seedlings, were planted in early 2023. A restoration of this scale had never been attempted before with a Muhly Meadow, so there was strong interest and anticipation felt while waiting for the results.

As anticipated, the plants are growing nicely, with a success rate of 83% of plugs surviving the first 8 months! Most experienced their first blooming this past fall after being in the ground for less than a year. The success of this restoration far exceeded expectations and has now set the standard for reestablishing this community across the Jekyll landscape.

This validation of success has now led to the initiation of the “Acres & Acres of Muhly Grass” project. This campaign will expand the scope of previous efforts, into natural areas on the island, “rescuing” this imperiled habitat so it can flourish for years to come. Muhly Meadows exist in accretional, or growing dune habitats, establishing on new land as it is deposited by coastal processes. Since Jekyll has less than one acre of Muhly Meadow left in marshy areas that are being inundated by storm and tidal action, the priority now shifts to returning this habitat to the fresh growing dune habitats. The Muhly Meadows planted there should sustain themselves by following the natural growth of the island. There are about 40 acres of suitable habitat throughout the island’s south end targeted for this habitat rescue effort.

For 40 acres to be planted, there is a need for 200,000 muhly grass plugs that will be grown from seed collected from the disappearing patches of Muhly grass on Jekyll’s south end. This equates to approximately 5,000 plugs per acre to be grown and planted with help from partners at Birds Georgia.

However, this project cannot be successful without the financial support from donors like you. If you enjoy seeing the lush pink grasses swaying in the coastal breeze and the rabbits and painted buntings that call this place home, consider donating to this project through the Jekyll Island Foundation and join us in this restorative ecological adventure. Gift a single Muhly grass plug or gift an acre! Every investment counts—toward today and tomorrow, as we help to preserve this beautiful island for generations to come.

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Meet Our Board: Sean McGinnis

Posted on | by Matthew Humphrey

As head of publishing for Atlanta Magazine, Sean McGinnis lives in a hotbed of happenings. Day in and day out, he is on the phone, on the road and on the go capturing the ins and outs of what is currently creating headlines in the state’s capital city and beyond.

But for a few blessed days, maybe a week or more if he plays the luck card right, he makes his way down with his family, or even on a solo trip, to Georgia’s most enchanting barrier island. As an added bonus, those days spent beachside can occasionally double as work trips, or triple as pleasure trips, work trips and prime opportunities to serve in his distinct role as Vice Chair of the Jekyll Island Foundation Board.  

For more than five years, McGinnis has served on the JIF Board, striving alongside his board partners to help keep the state park as pristine as possible. Even before being invited to join the board by past members, McGinnis had his eyes on the island, collaboratively launching 31• 81, the Magazine of Jekyll Island, several years ago, as well as developing friendships and business contacts island-wide.

Once any needed business is set aside, his dream Jekyll agenda involves the simpler sides of life, beginning with a beachfront view of the sunrise. Well, first, he admits, it starts with a cup (or two) of coffee, then the sunrise. Caffeine in hand, he would make his way out for a dawn-tinted walk on the beach, waiting for the sun to peak and come over the horizon. It is a great reminder “you’re not in Atlanta anymore,” he said.

With the coffee and sunrise checked off his agenda, that dreamy day would unfold with a fishing excursion, then digging in, fingers first, to some signature peel-and-eat shrimp, accompanied by the tunes of “whoever’s playing that evening on the (Wharf) dock,” he said, quickly adding: “And never having to change out of shorts, a beat-up T-shirt and some worn out flip flops.” 

Long before those flip flops were worn out and such dreamy days became more regular on his calendar, though, McGinnis had a keen interest in Jekyll Island. When the idea of becoming a JIF board member was presented to him, he was quick to agree.

Sitting on the JIF board, and prior to the many phases of much-needed renovation which have swept through the Island for more than 15 years, McGinnis recalls holding fond memories of Jekyll. However, he admits some of those memories include the Island when it needed a breath of fresh, though slightly salty, air. Back then, he said, he saw the grand potential just waiting to sprout again on the Island, to revamp it into its yesteryears of glitz and glam.

“I don’t actually remember the first time I was introduced to Jekyll Island, but it was definitely prior to the revitalization plan. Back then it felt dated and (in) need of updating, for sure,” he said. “Years later, I remember coming back and staying, and seeing the new Convention Center and Beach Village coming to fruition. (I) couldn’t believe the progress that was made. All the while, (the island remained) walkable for miles on an undisturbed beach.”

Now, fast-forward through those years, months and days of change into its current state of beachside shine, and McGinnis finds the island to be a top bragging post for his publication. The impact of a new Jekyll had such an impact on McGinnis, that “when we decided to launch a new travel publication that we call Southbound, I knew I wanted to spotlight Jekyll Island on the cover. It’s still one of my favorite covers we’ve ever done,” he said.

During his stays on Jekyll, both pre- and post-revitalization, McGinnis knew the Island to be a second home, a place for relaxing and reviving away from the metro maze of Atlanta, both years ago and now.

“I found it was becoming a ‘retreat’ for me,” he said. “It offered everything I was looking for in a coastal getaway. Nowhere else could you find wide open expanses of beachfront and marsh that was undeveloped. Every time I enter the Jekyll causeway, everything changes, and I feel like I’m home.”

As a more modern, renovated Jekyll Island has unfolded in the past decade or so, that unique feeling of solace and untapped beauty has not faded, a marvel McGinnis credits to the meticulously planned blueprints developed by past, and present, Jekyll Island leadership.

He especially is excited to further showcase to readers and Island guests the responsible vision of a fresher Jekyll Island through the reopening of the now-renovated Mosaic, Jekyll Island Museum, as well as a new annual fundraising getaway and gala weekend the Board is planning, which will serve to distinctly promote and celebrate Jekyll as it was, as it is, and for what it is continuing to become. This gala, he said, is set to be an “important, sustaining annual event that promotes the Island to new potential patrons while raising awareness for JIF’s core mission of Conservation, Preservation, and Education.”