August 2020
Dear Friends,

I hope all of you and your families are well! We have had a great response to the first Friends of Canaveral - Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest (ASTN)! We have exceeded our expectations and the adoptions are still coming in. It is really a unique gift and fun for family members and friends to see their name on one of our well known yellow “turtle stakes”. I think it really lets people connect to one of our most precious wildlife resources and keeps them a little closer to the seashore. So, get your nest now, before time runs out! Funds from this program help the Friends of Canaveral assist the seashore with education and sea turtle conservation

Stay Healthy and Safe!
See you at the beach!
Laura Henning
Sea Turtle Nesting #'s - July 31, 2020
• Loggerhead (Caretta caretta):
Apollo ( 1729 ) .......... Playalinda ( 2348 )

• Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas):
Apollo ( 978 ) .......... Playalinda ( 1764 )

• Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea):
Apollo ( 11 ) .......... Playalinda ( 15 )

• Kemps Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii):
Apollo ( 0 ) .......... Playalinda ( 5 )

Total Nest Counts: 6,850   

Everyone asks how the turtles are doing, so here is end of July total history:
2020-  6,850
2019-  9,762
2018-  3,929
2017-  7,552
2016-  5,038
2015-  5,670
Virtual Turtle Watch
Traditionally Canaveral National Seashore hosts in person Turtle Watch programs in the months of June and July. This video takes you through the basics of the program. What is usually a 4 hour adventure in the park has been whittled down to an 11 to 12 minute video.

We hit some basic elements of sea turtle education and view a nesting loggerhead virtually. Note that the loggerhead video is rather dated from 2004. All sea turtle videos and photos were taken under a Marine Turtle Permit through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who manages endangered species programs for the state of Florida. Hopefully this will serve a preview for in person programs. Fingers crossed on in person Turtle Watch programs next season. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in programs were cancelled for this summer. We look forward to a positive future.

Thank you Ashley Lord for this informative video!


As a thank you, you will receive a custom made sea turtle print bandana, a Friends of Canaveral sticker, and an original Canaveral National Seashore postcard.
ADOPT A SEA TURTLE NEST is an opportunity for visitors, friends and nature lovers to participate in and contribute to sea turtle conservation. Your donation of $40 supports the protection efforts of these threatened and endangered species.
The State of Florida provides critical nesting habitat for threatened and endangered sea turtles, including Loggerheads, Greens and Leatherbacks. In face the east coast of Florida hosts the largest population of nesting Loggerheads in the world. In 2019, recorded nests in Florida exceeded 160,000.

Unfortunately, much of this habitat is disappearing due to coastal development, beach armoring, and sea level rise. Canaveral National Seashore's 24 miles of undeveloped beach and intact dune system continues to be a stable nesting area for marine turtles. Female turtles crawl up from the ocean, deposit their eggs and return to the sea.

Each nest that is laid in Canaveral is part of the Statewide Nesting Beach Survey program that has tracked nesting populations going back to 1979. Rangers and volunteers are critical to the success of the protection and turtle tracking efforts. In 2019 nests laid in Canaveral reached a record 13,000!

You too can be part of the conservation efforts at Canaveral to protect these threatened and endangered marine turtles by making a donation to Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest.
ADOPT A SEA TURTLE NEST is an opportunity for visitors, friends and nature lovers to participate in and contribute to sea turtle conservation. Your donation of $40 supports the protection efforts of those threatened and endangered species.

All adoptable sea turtle nests will be located within the 24 miles of undeveloped coastline within the boundaries of Canaveral National Seashore.
Once we receive your Adopt a Sea Turtle Nest info, you will:
  1. Be assigned a sea turtle nest with an ID number.
  2. Receive a digital photo of your nest and ID state with your name included, plus a digital clip showing a nesting sea turtle.
  3. Be mailed a custom made sea turtle print bandana, a Friends of Canaveral sticker, and an original Canaveral National Seashore postcard.
  4. Approximately 7 weeks later, you will receive a digital clip of sea turtle hatchlings crawling to the ocean.
FAQS

  • Can I request a species of turtle? Probably not, nests are adopted based on the date we receive your information and what nests were laid that night.
  • Can anyone else adopt my nest? No, your nest is exclusive to you. We don't adopt the same next twice.
  • Can I visit my nest? Probably not. There are thousands of nests laid over a 24-mile area during nesting season. However, if you visit Canaveral during nesting season, you will see ID stickers of turtle nests.
  • Can I see my nest emerge/hatch? Most nests hatch in the dark of night when it is safe for hatchlings to get to the water and is rare to see a nest emerge.
DID YOU KNOW?
HUMAN THREATS TO SEA TURTLES
These ancient creatures have been on Earth for more than 100 million years — even surviving the dinosaurs when they became extinct 65 million years ago. Among the threats these marine reptiles face are entanglement, habitat loss, and consumption of their eggs and meat.

Sea turtles often drown when caught in fishing gear. Coastal development can destroy important nesting sites, impact coral reefs, and artificial light from houses and other buildings attracts hatchlings away from the ocean. Pollution like plastic bags are often mistaken for food such as jellyfish and ingested, which blocks their intestines and potentially kills them. In some countries, they are hunted for their meat and shells and their eggs are eaten.


REPORT VIOLATIONS
If you suspect a fish, wildlife, boating, or environmental law violation, report it to the FWC's Wildlife Alert Reward Program: 888-404-FWCC (3922).
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