Sea Turtle Awareness Month

Do you like the beach? Hey, so do we!

We love a nap in the sun, we love sneaking cocktails out there and we love all the cool critters in and around it.

Our beaches are perfect for so many things – including nesting sea turtles.

We’re lucky here in St. A because our local organizations take such good care of the beaches, including defenseless creatures like the turtles. But they can’t do everything. When we step foot on the sand, we are also agreeing to help. We need to do our part to help keep our beaches – and all their inhabitants – in great shape.

This month we have a unique opportunity to have some good times and support the sea turtles.

At the urging of a few local organizations, the Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed April as Sea Turtle Awareness Month.

To celebrate, St. Johns County Recreation and Parks, Environmental Division, Solid Waste and Tourist Development Council have partnered with the St. Johns Cultural Council, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR) and Peace Passers to promote and educate St. Johns County residents and visitors on the importance of species diversity, the protection of the coastal environment and how our actions can positively impact this fragile habitat.

Throughout April, the following activities support education and awareness of sea turtles:

SOCCER + LIGHTHOUSE MUSIC = AWESOME
Saturday, April 4, 9:00 am – Midnight
Soccer tournament, beach clean up, and After Party with Lighthouse Music, raffles and arts at the St. Johns Cultural Center to benefit Keepers of the Coast and Peace Passers. Partners include St. Johns Cultural Council, Tourist Development Council, Beaches Adult Soccer League, Flagler College and Peace Passers.

TOASTING THE TURTLES
Friday, April 10, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Wine Tasting at Wine Warehouse, with proceeds to benefit Keepers of the Coast.

PARTY AT THE PIER
Saturday, April 18, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sea Turtle Festival at the St. Johns County Fishing Pier Pavilion. Help us help sea turtles by attending our Annual Sea Turtle Festival and learning ways you can help. Come explore the children’s activity center, the education station developed by Venture Crew #347, win a prize when you complete our passport challenge, learn about beach lighting and the impacts it has on sea turtles, see what a Turtle Excluder Device (TED) looks like, visit the education tables, purchase marine-related arts and crafts from local artisans, listen to local music and eat great food.

WELCOME TO TURTLE TOWN
Saturday, April 25, 8:00 – 10:00 am
Turtle Town Cleanup! Help us prepare the beaches for sea turtle nesting season by participating in a beach cleanup organized by Chris Benjamin of the Solid Waste Division, phone (904) 827-6980 ext. 4820.

For complete event details or to check for updates, visit www.sjcfl.us/HCP/Festival.aspx or call Habitat Conservation Coordinator Tara Dodson at (904) 209-3740.