KIC Newsletter June 11, 2011

HI KICers!!!

I am so proud to be a part of you guys.

So far, you have reported collecting 147.33 bags of trash and you just keep on "KICing"!!!!  Please view the updated blogsite:  wbkeepitclean.blogspot.com.  If you have not sent in your reports, please do so and I will add to our totals.

I do have two tidbits of news that I want to share in this email.  One is frustrating and one is hopeful.  So I will post the frustrating news first:


Dog Destroys Sea Turtle Eggs on Carolina Beach
A sea turtle nest at Carolina Beach was predated by an unleashed dog this week.  The dog destroyed at least 20 of the eggs in the nest.  Please click on this link to read the article and view a picture of the predated nest:

Dogs are not allowed on WB from April 1 to October 30.  From October 30 to March 31st, dogs must be leashed and owners must have a bag with them so that they can clean after their dogs.

Please understand that I love dogs and I understand why people want their dogs to be able to play on the beach.  However, dogs have a very keen sense of smell and very strong natural instincts to dig up, chew, roll in, eat, lick, etc. anything they think smells good.  And usually no amount of owner's commands can deter this very undomesticated type of behavior.  They just can't help themselves.  So, dogs will certainly be able to smell a freshly laid turtle nest and will surely find it irresistible.  This is a very good reason for dog owners to follow the WB ordinance and keep dogs off the beach during nesting season.

On our blog this week, you will read John and Terri Littlejohn's email in which they approached a dog owner who told them she thought she was out early enough that she would not get caught!


Now for the Hopeful News:
Injured Leatherback Sea Turtle Gets Help Digging Her Nests
Please click on the link below to meet Clover, an endangered leatherback sea turtle who has had both of her rear flippers severed by a shark.  Clover is unable to dig her nests, so volunteers on Juno Beach, Florida watch for her and help dig her nests when she comes ashore.  So far, this year, she has laid 7 nests on Juno Beach.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/11/injured.leatherback.turtle/index.html

Thanks for all you do.

Keep It Clean,
Ginger

KIC newsletter June 3, 2011

HI KICers!!!

Thank you all for picking up that trash and sending me your observations of what is going on at WB.  I have updated the blog and you can click on it here:  wbkeepitclean.blogspot.com.

When you look at the site, you may find that your report is not there yet, not to worry, I will be posting more soon.

I hope you are enjoying reading the reports and viewing the pics.  I know I am.

Totals:
So far, we have picked up 111.5 bags of trash. (24.5 this week).  If you have not sent in your reports yet, you can do it now and I will get it posted as soon as I can.

Tracks before Trash:
I appreciate the zealous spirit all of you have about keeping our ocean clean.  However, for those of you who are WBSTP volunteers, I wanted to remind you to not forget to look for tracks.  I have heard several of you say that sometimes there is so much trash, you have to remind yourself to look for tracks.  I feel that way too sometimes, but lucky for me, John provides an extra set of eyes.

Please remember that the mission for WBSTP is to monitor for tracks.  In the past years, I have suggested that volunteers walk in one direction for tracks and wait to collect trash on the way back.  I know that once you take your eyes off a piece of trash, it is difficult to see it again and you may be tempted to go ahead and pick it up; that is fine as long as you also remember to carefully monitor for tracks.   If we missed Mamma Turtle tracks, we would feel terrible; so please please remember:  "Tracks before Trash".

Overflowing Trashcans
The pattern that has developed so far is that the trash cans and the recycling cans are often overflowing.  I have learned that from Memorial Day until the end of the season, the trash is collected twice a day and three times a day on the weekends.  A few of you have suggested and commented that an evening trash collection would be good as many people do not leave the beach until the evening, at which time, they leave their garbage (or at least try) in the trash cans.  This creates a problem as the trash sometimes gets scattered on the wind or scattered by the birds in the morning.  Also, when visitors walk across the dunes in the mornings, it is unsightly to be greeted by full trashcans overflowing onto the sand.

Another problem that is presented by overflowing trashcans is that good citizens do not have anywhere to place the garbage they have collected and this could discourage people from participating in  spontaneous clean ups.

Remembrance
June 1 was a release day at the Sea Turtle Hospital.  It was very exciting.  If you have looked at the news stations, picked up the lumina newspaper or the star news paper, then you know a now healthy turtle by the name of Remembrance was among one of the released.  This turtle is special to us because she was rescued from WB last Memorial Day (thus the name Remembrance).  She was very thin, lethargic and just about lifeless at the time of her rescue.  However, on Wednesday, she was robust, active and raring to go!!!!  You can see pictures and read about her release at http://www.luminanews.com/section.asp?sid=23&iid=275           or at         http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110601/ARTICLES/110609974.  If you go to the star news site, scroll down to "more photos" and click on "2011 Summer Turtle Release".  If you prefer the Jacksonville Daily News, you can click here:  http://www.jdnews.com/articles/-91658--.html

You can also see pics on the WB facebook page posted by our own Susan Miller:  https://www.facebook.com/WrightsvilleBeachSeaTurtleProject?ref=ts

or on Topsail Voice facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Topsail-Voice/103353583036131

You can watch the WWAY video here:  http://www.wwaytv3.com/video/2011/06/sea-turtles-rehabbed-and-returned-to-the-sea          or the News Channel 14 video here:  http://coastal.news14.com/content/641798/rehabilitation-center-sends-25-sea-turtles-back-home

I have to say this is my favorite release yet.  It was more magical than I can explain and the whole universe seemed to come together in celebration.  There was a huge Sting Ray (largest I have ever seen) in the sound behind the hospital  prior to the release; and there was a very huge owl on the base of the water tower when we returned to the hospital after the release (purely amazing).  The owl's talons were as large or larger than my hand.  I could not believe my eyes!!

But even better than all of that, for me, was that  Amanda Andrews sang a native american song to Remembrance while we were in route to release Remembrance to  her true mother, Mother Ocean.  Translation of the song's words have been lost over the generations, but the song is sung to send positive energy.  It brought tears to my eyes and I will never forget it!!!!

Thank you all for your dedication to our Earth.

Here are before and after pics of Remembrance that was shared with me by Amanda.  In the before pic, she was placed on a flotation device to help her float so that she would eat.

ginger