This space holds news items from the prior calendar year. Some links may no longer be functional.
Beaches Sea Turtle Patrol
P.O. Box 50723
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240-0723
Emergency Phone: (904) 613-6081
Email
BSTP News Archive: 2009
- FINAL 2009 NESTING DATA
Nests: 36 (Hatched: 30, Infertile/undeveloped: 5, Lost: 1)
Eggs (35 evaluated nests): 3,801 (2,746 hatched, 1,055 unhatched)
Disorientations: 2
Predations: 2
False Crawls: 22
Strandings: 24 - A note about recycling your Christmas tree: DO NOT take it to the beach, that is considered to be illegal dumping. Call your city manager's office if you don't know where to take it. You may be able to set it curbside.
- Live loggerhead stranded in S. Jax Beach on 12/8, transported to GSTC, unlikely to survive.
- Holiday gift ideas: BSTP supporter t-shirt, hatchling ornament, surfer necklace, front license plate. Free sea turtle bumper sticker and decal with every order!
- A live Kemp's Ridley was stranded near Beach Blvd. on 11/9. It was tranported to the GA Sea Turtle Center for treatment. UPDATE:The turtle (named Jack by GSTC staff) is suffering from impacted sand but making good progress.
- Thanks to everyone who made the International Coastal Cleanup a great success. We counted 193 volunteers at our three stations, who collected about 188 bags of litter. A big thank-you goes out to the 76 Sandalwood HS students who helped.
- Dog predation incident in South Jax Beach 8/28-29
Unleashed dog tunneled under protective wire barrier, breached egg chamber and scattered egg shells on surface of sand. This occured either during or shortly after the hatchlings were leaving the nest. Unattended dogs can and do cause much damage to nests and hatchlings. Please keep dogs leashed and supervised during this critical period. Unleashed dogs should be reported to Jax Beach animal control (247-6167). If you witness a dog predating a nest call FWC law enforcement immediately at 1-888-404-3922 (#FWC or *FWC from cell phone). 
"Under The Sea" Turtle Trails sculpture re-unveiled 8/28 after vandalism damage repaired. Watch the short video. - Upcoming: Saturday 9/19, 7-9 a.m.: International Coastal Clean Up Day. Join us and help keep our beaches clean. Bags and gloves provided at site points on the beach at Atlantic Blvd., Beach Blvd. and 16th. Ave. South. Download the official flier.
- Help us help the turtles! Another disorientation event occured on 7/23 in north Atlantic Beach. Added to the first disorientation, at least 100 turtles have been lost. Please keep the beach dark. See our downloads page for resources about sea turtle-friendly lighting solutions. contact us for assistance or to report potential light problems.
Save the date: Friday, 8/7, opening reception of First Street Gallery's annual Sea Turtle art sale that benefits BSTP. Print your invitation. - History has been made ... Our first-ever leatherback hatchlings recently arrived! Unfortunately they were attracted to the lights from nearby condo buildings and ended up in the dunes. (We were able to save the ones we rescued). Please keep all beachside lights off to keep the hatchlings safe. This includes covering windows if interior lights are on. Please click here for info about lighting issues.
- Thanks, everyone, for the great turn out for Sunday's beach cleanup. We counted 123 participants who collected about 340 bags of trash.
- Help us clean up the beach on Sunday 7/5 from 7-9 am. Sign in at Atlantic Blvd., Beach Blvd. or 16th Ave. South.
- Want to "see" turtles? Click here or here.
- Check out this new short sea turtle documentary video.
- Turtle Trails project sculpture map here.
- BSTP Gear update: Adult size small supporter t-shirts temporarily sold out.
- [Calendar event] Sea Turtle Awareness Concert Tour: Saturday 5/2, 2-5pm Beaches Green Market, Jarboe Park. Live acoustic music and education combine creating a family friendly environment to learn about sea turtles and simple ways that humans can lessen their impact on turtle nesting beaches. Stop by our table for educational materials and BSTP Gear.
- [Calendar event] Beaches Parade, Sunday 4/26, 2p.
- [Calendar event] Jax Zoo's Earth Day "Party for the Planet": 4/25-26, 10-4. Stop by our booth and pick up kid's activity books. (BSTP Gear not available).
- BSTP now on Facebook!
- [March 13] Annual newsletter being mailed to supporters this week. (Click here for puzzle solution & special message).
- "Black Tie & Baggies" fundraiser by First Coast Surfrider to be held 4/18. Click here for more info.
- Florida receives overall grade of "C" on its first Ocean's Report Card for coastal & ocean management policies.
- There have been 5 strandings so far this calendar year. If you find a stranded sea turtle, do not touch it or attempt to put it back into the water. Call BSTP immediately at (904) 613-6081 and we will take the appropriate action.
- Date for 2009 pre-season/volunteer orientation meeting is Saturday 4/4, 10:30 a.m. at Beaches library.
- Many thanks to Tom & Betty Petway for their very
generous donation of a 2006 Polaris Ranger. We'll be able to carry more
materials and personnel which will significantly help our efforts.
- We are looking for a secure location in south Jax Beach to keep our second ATV next season. Please contact us if you can help.
- 2008 News Archive
Got Gear?
We've got all the turtle gear you need to make a statement and show your pride in being a sea turtle conservationist and a supporter of BSTP. Grab an official patrol t-shirt, wooden ornament or surfer necklace, all featuring our special hatchling mascot. Also available are front license plates that spell TUR-TLE, similar to the FL Dept. of Motor Vehicle specialty tag (as shown below). Combined with a BSTP membership these items make a great gift for the environmentalist in your life who has everything.
P.O. Box 50723
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240-0723
Emergency Phone: (904) 613-6081
