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Harbor Island Turtle Patrol goes out each
day at dawn to look for signs of nesting
turtles and once a nest is found we monitor
the nest until the hatchlings go out to sea.
Loggerhead turtles, considered a threatened
species, have nested on Harbor for years.
The first known monitoring began in the
1980's with only one person who probably was
not part of the state wide program. A formal
Harbor Island patrol under the SCDNR permit
system began around 1993.
Turtle season is approaching (May - October)
so it is time to get organized. I will be
going to Charleston on the 23rd for the
Project Managers meeting that DNR holds each
year for the stranding and nesting permit
holders. I have been told that new protocols
will be introduced at that meeting. I would
like to invite all islanders interested in
the turtle patrol to meet on Saturday 10
April at 2pm in the Community Center. If you
are interested but can not attend on the
10th give me a call (843-838-4878)and we can
arrange a time to get together.
Everyone Welcome
For more information contact Fran Nolan
838-4878
VOLUNTEER CREW MEMBERS
John Albert & Sarah Albert
Cathy Alexander
Bev Brady
Diana Carscaddon
Perry Dukes
Diane Fisk & John Fisk
Jack Fritze
Lynda Gordon
Joan Higgins & Kevin Higgins
Sandy Ivey
Peggy Lucas
Margie Mccready
Dawson Moore
Frances Moore
Dennis Nolan & Fran Nolan
Mary Ann Radke
Whitney Ravenhorst
Helen Schwiers
Judy Sercy
Bryan Wiggers
Sloane Wiggers
TEE SHIRT FUND RAISER
"New project t-shirts are for sale in
the Palmetto Shop at the Beach & Racquet
Club. They are available to the crew and the
general public. All proceeds above cost will
go to the Harbor Island Sea Turtle Project
and other wildlife concerns on Harbor
Island."
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BEFORE YOU DIG
There is something about being on a beach
that brings out the civil engineer in most
of us. Everyone enjoys building sand
castles, creating intricate systems of
canals to move water and just to dig holes
in the sand. Most family albums have sand
castle pictures from years past.
It seems so simple especially if you dig below the tide
line. By next morning your work will be
gone. But if you dig above the tide line the
structures last for days and even weeks. But
what if you are a 300-pound or more female
turtle that wants to dig a hole to lay her
eggs? Even small holes or walls become
insurmountable barriers. Even whimsical
homage to the turtles like the effigy mount
or the mock nest seen here can thwart a real
turtle from digging a nest and laying her
eggs.
So if you want to be a civil engineer go right ahead, but
please fill in your moats and holes and
level your walls and towers before you leave
the beach. Also don’t leave chairs or other
items on the beach or in the dunes so you
won’t have to carry them back and forth
tomorrow.
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