Page 4 - The Islander - April '21

Page 4, The Islander

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Sea Turtle Nesting Season Returns To Palm Beach

County With ‘Respect The Locals’ Campaign

Researchers at due to temporary beach closures. According to LMC data, • Be a litterbug: Do not leave any trash behind. Trash can
Loggerhead Marinelife loggerhead nesting success on Juno Beach was 60 percent hinder nesting and hatchling turtles from crawling to and
Center (LMC) are when they first arrived in April during closures, whereas nesting from the beach. Also, sea turtles may accidentally ingest
keeping a watchful eye success dropped to 48 percent when beaches reopened. In short, trash left behind.
for the return of sea turtle the data showed that there were a smaller proportion of false • Release balloons: Don’t release balloons, they travel
nesting season in Palm crawls during the shutdown, which is when nesting females far distances and can be eaten by sea turtles and other
Beach County and have crawl onto the beach and return to the water without laying eggs. marine organisms.
kicked off its “Respect As mothers return, it’s especially important to remind • Host bonfires: Bonfires may be accidentally situated on a
the Locals” awareness beachgoers of best practices during the season. This includes: nesting site. Also, hatchlings can often be lured or disoriented
campaign. Between • Keeping your distance: Never approach or touch a nesting by light emitted by fires.
March 1 and Oct. 31, sea sea turtle. Keep your distance, always stay out of the line of sight, “It’s apparent that the temporary beach closures from last
turtles nest on the 9.5- remain quiet and keep all lights off (including flash photography season led to fewer obstructions and human interactions for
mile stretch of beach that and cell phones). Touching, prodding or shining lights may cause nesting sea turtles,” said Dr. Justin Perrault, LMC’s director of
LMC monitors, which her to not lay eggs or disturb her and affect how well she covers research. “However, we can’t rely on closures to do the work
spans from the northern and camouflages the nest. for us. Rather, it’s important for us to follow proven methods
Palm Beach County line Morning surveys (Jennifer • Letting hatchlings emerge: If you see hatchlings on the that contribute to a successful nesting season. ”
to the northern boundary Reilly, LMC research operations beach, allow them to crawl to the ocean on their own. Do not During periods of heavier wind or wave action on Florida’s
of John D. MacArthur manager) remove or dig hatchlings out of a nest. Removing sand above coastline, sea turtle eggs may become exposed. LMC advises
Beach State Park. Last the nest will make it more difficult for the hatchlings to emerge. beachgoers to leave exposed eggs and nests untouched;
year, the center documented 16,935 sea turtle nests totaling • Turning off lights: Keep lights off at your house while disoriented hatchlings should be brought to the center’s 24-
286 leatherback, 13,059 loggerhead and 3,590 green sea turtle not in use and close your blinds at night to avoid adding to the hour hatchling rescue cooler, which is located at the entrance
nests. Additionally, it’s estimated that 800,000 hatchlings were overall glow. Sea turtles crawl towards the brightest horizon, of the center. Threatened and endangered hatchlings should be
produced from the 2020 nesting season alone. and artificial lighting can cause them to disorient. transported with extreme care, in a bucket with damp sand and
However, the previous nesting season had some advantages • Filling in your holes: Fill in all holes and knock over sand no water, to prevent accidental drowning.
castles so that nesting turtles and hatchlings do not fall into them If you discover a sick, injured or stranded sea turtle, please
and are not hindered as they crawl on the beach. call Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)
Do Not or LMC’s Sea Turtle Stranding Hotline at (561) 603-0211.
• Leave it behind: Remove obstacles such as beach Want to help protect nesting and hatching sea turtles this season?
chairs, tables, water-sport equipment and umbrellas before Use the #respectthelocals and #loggerheadmarinelifecenter
dark. A turtle nests every 3 to 4 feet. Therefore, there are hashtags to keep social media users informed and engaged this
high chances of puncturing sea turtle nests or eggs when nesting season. Follow LMC’s social media and website for
umbrellas are staked into the ground. Respect the Locals information, materials, and merchandise.
• Dig holes: Avoid digging holes or using shovels in
order to not interfere with incubating sea turtle nests. Loggerhead News on page 5

Imagine This As Your...
Nesting leatherback (storm)

Hatchling emergence Loggerhead hatchling

driveway courtyard
Singer Spotlight from page 1
“When Irwin Edenzon and the chiefs of the Police
and Fire Rescue departments presented the need for
the emergency financial assistance fund, our Board of
Directors were overwhelmingly in favor of the concept
and worked to make it happen. We are honored to be able
to fund this program as it takes care of our first responders
here in Palm Beach Gardens,” said Mark Freeman,
president of the BallenIsles Charities Foundation.
The mission of BallenIsles Charities Foundation
is to render financial and in-kind support to civic and
not-for-profit organizations within Palm Beach County
that provide programs and services in the following
broad categories – civic, health and human services,
environment, and education – designed to assist, rec room wine cellar
encourage and promote the well-being of the residents
and the communities in which they are located.
The Palm Beach Gardens Police and Fire Rescue
Foundation provides funding for education, training,
equipment and new technology, community outreach This Feels Like Home
and emergency assistance to department personnel and
their families. Programs include tuition reimbursement, Three Nicklaus Championship Golf Courses
scholarship awards for department personnel dependent
children, K-9 acquisition and training facility enhancement, Homes from $200K to $2Million • West Palm Beach, Florida
Police and Fire Rescue Explorer youth programs and Call 561.624.8000 or visit clubatibis.com
many other projects in direct support of Palm Beach
Gardens first responders.