The July meeting was well attended to see Frank Starbach
inform us about a well kept secret here in town.
Jacksonville is only about a dozen miles from the beach, but
unless you live AT the beach, you probably have no idea what
goes on there.
Sea turtles have captured the hearts of the
public much better than many of the other reptiles that are just
as, or more endangered. Fortunately for us, we live in an area
where we can take an active part in helping with these beautiful
creatures. The Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol is a non-profit
organization that covers the entire Duval County beaches. "Our
goal is to keep the sea turtle population from experiencing a
downward trend which could be irreversible."
Frank introduced us to the the turtles with a
video from the FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
called, "A Beachcombers Guide to Turtle Watching." It was an
excellent video that showed the whole process of the turtle
crawling on the beach, digging her nest, laying her eggs, and
then covering them up.
There are many too facets of the whole topic
to get into here. Please visit their website, "www.bstp.net"
or call them at 241-7631 or 242-8111. their website has a lot of
stuff on it, including nest locations with laying dates and
potential hatch dates. There are also a few photos. Definitely
worth visiting! Thanks Frank for an outstanding presentation.
