CEO CHATTER WITH JACK LIGHTON

Dear Friend of LMC:

 

On behalf of our entire team of staff, volunteers and sea turtles, please let me take this opportunity to officially welcome you to 2017! Thank you for helping us to make 2016 another record-setting year for our Center. With your help, dedication and support, LMC was able to once again set records for conservation and education impact here in Florida, and more increasingly, around our planet.

Our oceans have many names; however, the oceans are one interconnected body of water. We also know that the sea turtles who nest on our beaches and are treated in our hospital migrate around our world’s oceans, and with your help we are so proud that our conservation and education portfolio is applied internationally.

Our Center welcomed a record number of guests in 2016 – well over 300,000! Did you know that nearly 60 percent of our guests visit our campus from outside of Palm Beach County? This is likely due to our uniqueness; there are not many working sea turtle hospitals who are open to the public and staffed with the world’s most engaging and knowledgeable volunteers!

Just as we welcome many guests from around the world, our hospital welcomes many visiting veterinarians from around the world who study with our staff and volunteers and take our advanced expertise back with them to their home countries. This “networking” of international veterinarians significantly helps to increase sea turtle knowledge and rehabilitation expertise, and we are truly honored to use our campus as a teaching and training hub.

Our vision is to work with our staff, volunteers and supporters to “be recognized locally and internationally as the leading authority in sea turtle education, research and rehabilitation.” With the continued support of our passionate community of stakeholders, we are very excited to announce our capital expansion campaign. Our “Waves of Progress” capital expansion campaign is designed to allow our Center to continue – and expand – our conservation and education impact. We will launch our campaign to the public in conjunction with our Lights Out Gala, and we look forward to engaging our community to expand our Center into the most advanced sea turtle and ocean conservation hub in the world.

Please take a moment to check out our newly-launched programs for the 2017 winter months. Our team has been very busy designing inspirational and engaging programs for students of all ages. Please remember, each of us can have an impact on ocean conservation by making easy choices like attending a beach clean-up, using a re-usable water bottle and choosing to recycle.

On behalf of our entire team, I thank you for your continued support and passion for our mission. I look forward to visiting with you on campus soon.

Last December, more than 600 fashionistas and young philanthropists from around the globe gathered at The Beach Club on Palm Beach for the highlight of the social season – Beach Bash Palm Beach, presented by Lilly Pulitzer. And for the first time in history, the event raised critical funds for LMC’s sea turtle hospital and ocean conservation efforts! Beach Bash featured pulse-quickening entertainment, including a including a live painting by a Lilly Pulitzer print designer, mermaids and LED robot dancers, music, delicious bites and beverages and more. Notables in attendance were bedecked in contemporary and vintage Lilly resort wear, paying homage to Lilly Pulitzer’s vibrant heritage in the brand’s hometown.

A special thanks to our sponsors and our media partners for their amazing support. We were humbled and thrilled to partner with fashion powerhouse and iconic Palm Beach brand, Lilly Pulitzer. Sea turtles and Lilly Pulitzer are a perfect Palm Beach pairing! View a full gallery of Beach Bash photos here.

SCIENCE FOR SENIORS – EVENT RECAP

Seniors: it’s time to come out of your shells!

Our seasonal Science for Seniors program is back and better than ever! On Jan. 3, we kicked-off the return of this popular program with our third annual Senior Day with coffee, donuts and other light refreshments to welcome seniors back to campus. This season’s theme is You and Your Health and features four brand-new sessions.

Think you missed out? Think again! All senior citizens are welcome to visit Loggerhead Marinelife Center and meet the host, Dr. Paul Brown each Tuesday at 2 p.m. from January through May. Dr. Brown is a graduate of Harvard and Tufts School of Medicine and has a warm, inviting personality to boot. Science for Seniors is a four-part program that covers the effects, management and impacts of stress on senior citizens, providing information and tools to improve your life in the Golden Years.

For more information or to RSVP for yourself or a group, please contact [email protected] or (561) 627-8280 ext. 119. For more information about each segment of this four-part program, please visit our website.

Gone Fishin’

Pier Fishing Program. Do you know an aspiring young angler? Join us for a Kids’ Fishing Program at the Juno Beach Pier! This year, programs will be held on the first and second Saturday of each month from 8-11 a.m. Participants will learn basic techniques including knot tying, casting, species identification and proper release protocols in addition to conservation measures such as habitat protection, sea turtle rescue and the importance of collecting and recycling monofilament fishing line. To reserve a spot in our fishing program, please contact Kate at (561) 627-8280 ext. 119 or [email protected]. Space is limited.

Private Fishing Lessons. Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Juno Beach Pier staff is now offering Private Fishing Lessons for adults and kids ages 8 and up! If you’d like to learn fishing techniques from expert anglers and how you can help protect and restore the marine environment, please contact Kate at [email protected]. One-hour lessons are held on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Conservationist of the Month. Raymond, a local angler on the pier, is our January Conservationist of the Month*. An avid fisherman, Raymond has been fishing on the pier for quite some time. He always throws back smaller fish to give them a chance to grow. Regularly, he can be spotted teaching young anglers, including LMC’s Junior Marine Biologist campers. We are thankful for Raymond’s kindness and willingness to teach young anglers the craft of fishing. *The chosen angler has their photo displayed in the bait house for the month and receives a pass for 10 free days of fishing on the pier.

Meet Me At The Beach (CLEAN-UP)

LMC hosts monthly clean-ups, which are organized by the Blue Friends Society, on the third Saturday of every month. These clean-ups are open to the public and are sponsored by Whole Foods and Oceana Coffee. We are so grateful for all of the Blue Friends Society’s hard work! We invite you to join this dedicated group of LMC supporters at their monthly beach clean-up on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 8:30 a.m. 

Guests will meet the LMC Blue Friends Society at 8:30 a.m. (please note new time) at the back gate of the Center and help to keep our local ocean and beach environments free from trash and litter. We will clean the beach adjacent to LMC from north of the Center to the Juno Beach Pier and south to Town Center. We encourage volunteers to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun. Additionally, please bring a bucket to collect the trash – we have eliminated plastic bags from our beach clean-ups and have a limited supply of buckets.

2017 Nesting Season: RESEARCH REPORT

Our research department is pleased to welcome Dr. Justin Perrault as the Associate Director of Research. Dr. Perrault earned his Ph.D. in integrative biology from Florida Atlantic University. He most recently worked on the west coast of Florida as a postdoctoral research fellow with Mote Marine Laboratory and as a visiting assistant professor at University of South Florida at St. Petersburg. His research has been focused mainly in toxicology and marine immunology. We are very excited to welcome him to the LMC Research Department.

Our research department is already preparing for the 2017 nesting season, with our Leatherback Project and daily nesting surveys both beginning in March. We have started interviewing applicants for seasonal technician positions and are accepting applications for summer internship positions.

Below are graphs of crawl counts over the past 16 years for the three sea turtle species that nest along our survey area. It is important to note that despite high variability between years, the overall trend for all three species is clearly upward. We are hopeful that this trend will continue as conservation efforts also continue for these imperiled species.

This year was the highest nesting season on record for loggerheads. Nesting has been trending upward since a record low in 2007. This is very positive trend for loggerheads and we are hopeful it will continue.  

Green turtles have been nesting in alternating high and low years. This year was a low nesting season for green turtles, which was expected due to the record high nesting season recorded in 2015.

Leatherback nesting has been increasing overall, with high variability between seasons. This year was a lower nesting season than 2015. We are hopeful that a high leatherback season will occur in 2017 or 2018.

Jupiter Inlet Colony Welcomes LMC Research Team!

From March 1 through Dec. 1 during sea turtle nesting season, Jupiter Inlet Colony (JIC) welcomes the Loggerhead Marinelife Center research team to our beach, says JIC Mayor Dan Comerford. “We even help store equipment safely so that they don’t have to haul it back and forth each day.”

When Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Field Operations Manager Adrienne McCracken informed Mayor Comerford of the spectacular JIC Beach nesting numbers for 2016, he decided to make a poster to greet visitors. “It’s a great conversation starter when people walk in,” he says.

Mayor Comerford is proud that members of his community are good friends of sea turtles. “We know that our beach is one of North America’s most important nesting grounds. We teach newcomers in JIC about nesting season’s do’s and don’ts. We have regularly scheduled beach clean-ups. Kids write school reports about sea turtles. Several of our residents pick up beach trash daily. Others volunteer at Loggerhead Marinelife Center. Our residents and commissioners take seriously our responsibility to protect these wonderful, ancient endangered creatures that are so important for the health of our oceans.”

A CLEAN 2017!

A few new clean-up opportunities are available to anyone who has resolved to help keep our local beaches clean in 2017!  

Our new Deep Blue and You Yoga classes kicked off Jan. 11 and will be held on the beach next to the Juno Beach Pier on Jan. 25. Join us at 7:15 a.m. for a 45-minute, slow-flow yoga class followed by a 15-minute beach cleanup. Please be sure to bring your own mat or towel, water bottle and any accessories you may need.

Jupiter Waves Beach Clean-ups, benefiting Loggerhead Marinelife Center, will be held at 9 a.m. at Coral Cove Park on Jan. 15, Feb. 12, March 12 and April 9. Please join us in expanding our beach clean-up efforts!

For more information on either program, please contact [email protected].

Sea Turtle Savers Needed

If you are interested in applying for this position, please email Ashley Isaac at [email protected]

A Teaching Moment

The rehabilitation department had another international veterinary visitor last month. Natassia Bacco Mannina (pictured) is a veterinarian from Brazil working at a sea turtle rehabilitation facility. She came to the United States for a four-week holiday to gain more knowledge and experience with sea turtle rehabilitation. During her travel in the states, she attended the Sea Turtle Workshop in Marathon and worked with the rehabilitation staff at Loggerhead Marinelife Center for a week. LMC is always happy to help teach and learn from other facilities and organizations. We hope to continue to expand our reach in the sea turtle rehabilitation community.

Sea-sonal Celebration!

A big thank you to all who celebrated this holiday SEA-son with our sea turtles during our annual SEA-sonal Celebration Event at LMC! Holiday conservation tips and tools were used by each family as they learned ways to reduce their impact on the ocean and create sea turtle-approved decorations this year. Festive Fletch made a note of every guest’s wish for the ocean and we hope that each of them come true! Be sure to check out our Facebook album and tag yourself in our official event photos! Fletch and everyone on the LMC team hopes everyone had a wonderful 2016 holiday season!

Didn’t have a chance to shell-e-brate with us this year? You can still stop by and start the new year right with a guided tour of our facility or by participating in one of our many public programs offered on campus! For more information on what is happening this month, please visit our events calendar.

JMB Camp Early Bird Registration

Mark your calendars! Beginning Feb. 1, registration for our popular Junior Marine Biologist summer camp opens for Early Bird registrants at special, discounted rates not to be missed! Save over $50* during the Early Bird registration period from Feb. 1 to March 31 and secure your child’s camp spot early to ensure you get the session that best fits your summer plans.

This year, we have added two NEW sessions for aspiring marine biologists:

Turtle Adventures. Does your child have a love for all things sea turtle? Our Turtle Adventures session allows campers a first-hand look into a sea turtle’s life cycle from hatching to nesting. Campers will learn about the hatching process, experience nesting simulations, take a stance against marine debris, adventure on snorkeling excursions and more. Turtle Adventures encompasses sea turtles and their marine environment as well as a peek into the daily life of LMC’s sea turtle patients.

Sea Turtle Savers. Join us for our all-new camp session dedicated to aspiring sea turtle researchers, veterinarians and biologists! Our Sea Turtle Savers session will give your sea turtle lover an opportunity to be a marine science researcher, veterinarian and marine biologist throughout the week for a hands-on experience they won’t soon forget. Campers will learn the process of rescue to release as they participate in rescue and rehabilitation simulations, take a behind-the-scenes tour of our sea turtle hospital, go behind the gates of our sea turtle rehabilitation area and spend a day in the life of LMC staff.

Conservation Kids. Ready, set, SAVE! Watch as your child turns from camper to Conservation Kid as they learn the importance of ocean conservation for sea turtles, the ocean and their future. Campers will learn how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors while having fun fishing, canoeing and snorkeling safely searching for marine life. Each Conservation Kid will receive a Sea Turtle Safety award upon completion of the camp session and leave with tools and resources to implement responsible practices in their own community.

Field Experiences (Ages 14-17). Got a budding scientist on your hands? Our Field Experiences camp is designed to prepare high school-aged kids for a future in biology or related sciences. Campers will spend their days making observations about the local environments as well as experiencing them firsthand. Activities will include snorkeling excursions, seining for fish, lab experiments, dissections, sea turtle nesting surveys and more.

For more information on our exciting, “hands on, feet wet” summer camp program, check out our website.

Mommy & Me Paint!

Every other Thursday, LMC hosts a Mommy and Me painting class in our ocean-inspired learning center! Geared towards children ages 3-5 years old, participants will receive a ceramic sea turtle or colorful fish as a blank canvas for their boundless creativity and dive with other creative kids into the arts. While their new ocean friends are drying, children will learn all about the fascinating world of sea turtles through story time, discussion and hands-on artifacts. If your child is into art and sea turtles, this is the perfect class for you! Pre-registration occurs in the gift store 30 minutes prior to the program to secure your spot in the fun.

Cost: $8 per ceramic  |  Ages: Geared towards 3-5 years old | 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Come SWIM With us!

Travel with LMC and make your next vacation look (and do) good for sea turtles and the environment by joining one of our new 2017 SWIM destination eco-tour programs! The Serving the World’s Imperiled Marine life (SWIM) program gives you the opportunity to experience hands on sea turtle research, rehabilitation and conservation efforts while experiencing a unique vacation to some of the world’s most unique marine ecosystems.

Read up on our 2017 destinations (including Hawai’i and Nicaragua) and detailed itineraries at www.marinelife.org/SWIM or contact Hannah at [email protected] to decide where you want to SWIM this year!

Eco-Adventure Series

Join Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) biologists on local eco-excursions and explore the diverse coastal ecosystems of Florida! From river to reef, participants will learn about local flora and fauna as well as gain an insight into the importance of these delicate ecosystems in their community.

To register for one or more of these brand new Eco-Adventures, please visit www.marinelife.org/eco or contact Hannah at [email protected] and reserve your spot!

2017 Homeschool Workshop Schedule

Loggerhead Marinelife Center now offers workshops exclusively for homeschool students! This workshop series focuses on various marine science topics, including marine biology, coastal ecology, veterinary science, water quality, oceanography and ocean conservation. These workshops include hands-on activities and lessons for students ages 6-13.

Cost is $10/student for the two-hour program; one free chaperone per family is required (and must stay on campus for the duration of the program), but any additional chaperones will need to register as participants.

Fish ID & Feeding
Students will learn the basics of fish identification and how to use environmental clues to recognize them in their natural environment.

Wednesday, Jan. 25 (10 a.m.-noon)

Invasive Species
Students will learn about the threats of exotic and invasive species in coastal Florida by identifying species, conducting a removal project and watching our resident lionfish in action.

Thursday, Feb. 16 (10 a.m.-noon)

Tuesday, Feb. 28, (10 a.m.-noon)

Junior Veterinarians
Students will learn about our sea turtle hospital and the process of rescue to release by rehabilitating their very own replica patient.

Wednesday, March 8 (1-3 p.m.)

Wednesday, March 15 (1-3 p.m.)

Responsible Anglers (Location: Juno Beach Pier)

Students will learn about best angling practices for marine life and enjoy a lesson on fishing basics before casting their own line at Juno Beach Pier.

*Ages 6 and up ONLY

Monday, April 10 (10 a.m.-noon)

Monday, April 17 (10 a.m.-noon)

Debris-Free Seas
Students will learn about the effects of plastics and other marine debris on our ocean and engage in a friendly trash to treasure game.

Thursday, May 11 (10 a.m.-noon)

Thursday, May 18 (10 a.m.-noon)

To register for one or more of these specialty workshops for your student or homeschool class click here or contact Hannah at [email protected].

Winter Seminar Series

We are thrilled to announce that our Winter Seminar Series is back! This year marks Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s (LMC) fourth annual series and we invite you to join us to learn about sea turtle ecology, research, rehabilitation and conservation. Winter seminars will occur each Wednesday throughout the month of February and is hosted by a variety of dynamic and accomplished marine science professionals in our community. The lectures will cover a multitude of topics and will include light refreshments.

To register your attendance for this free seminar series, please RSVP to [email protected] or by calling (561) 627-8280 ext. 119. Kindly RSVP as space is limited.

We Are looking for you!

We’re hiring! Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Education staff is currently searching for enthusiastic, experienced educators to fill the following full-time position(s):

• Science Educator

Full job description can be found online. Interested applicants may submit their resume, cover letter and three (3) references to [email protected] ATTN: Science Coordinator.

 VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

MASCOT CORNER: Who is…?

Hello Friends,

Fletch here, the loveable and huggable Loggerhead Marinelife Center mascot. Humans have a very strange custom! They name someone “Person of the year” or “The most interesting man in the world.” Have you ever given any thought as to who is “The most interesting sea turtle in the world?” Is it the leatherback, green, loggerhead, hawksbill, olive ridley, Kemp’s ridley or the Australian flatback? Read the statements below and then answer that question:

• Green sea turtles are “green” with envy to be like him.
• No other sea turtle “measures up” to him.
• Sea turtles that “false crawl” are only looking for him.
• A sea turtle’s migration is always in his direction.
• He is a hatchling’s “brightest horizon.”
• He is hard-wired to dance.
• He isn’t driven by instinct – he drives instinct.
• He doesn’t follow a fashion trend – he sets trends.
• He doesn’t have a bucket list – he has done it all.
• His mission: “Keep his ocean home Clean and Blue, Trash Free.”

So, “Who is the most interesting sea turtle in the world?” Of course, it’s me Fletch, Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s mascot! I am the world’s most interesting sea turtle, for the reasons stated above. Keep the ocean “Clean and Blue, Trash Free,” mis amigos.

Saltwater Dreamin’ – VENDOR SPOTLIGHT With Susan Roberts

Name: Susan Roberts

Where does the name Saltwater Spurs come from? My daughter came up with the name to blend my love for horses and the sea together, and I loved the ring of it! Besides sea turtles, I also have a passion for horses, so I’ve done some of those paintings. Recently, I’ve learned a lot about Florida Cracker history. I had an opportunity to talk to Florida ranchers, and I was so surprised to learn about their love of their land. So many preconceived ideas I had totally shattered, and I learned a lot about them and how they respect the land. They have these parallels with other conservation groups without having the “conservationist” label. In fact, one time we rode out to part of a pasture and noticed some local burrowing owls, so the ranchers didn’t move their cows into that pasture because of the owls.

What other artists inspire you? Most of the Impressionists really inspire me. Honestly, all of the stories told through the centuries through art are amazing. I love Mary Cassatt and John Singer Sargent and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. For local artists I really like Dan Mackin and Guy Harvey. Guy really opened so many people’s eyes to the ocean, and it all started at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.

A huge thank you to a young ocean hero, Elliot, who has been raising funds and awareness for Loggerhead Marinelife Center by requesting that friends and family donate to the Center in lieu of giving gifts to him for Christmas and his 6th birthday. Thank you for your kindness, Elliot! 

 

Thank you to RBC Wealth Management, the sponsor of our December beach clean-up. We are so grateful for the help in keeping our beaches clean! 

We are very thankful for Bridgette Anthony (13) and Julia Ziegenfuss (12) for helping rescue past sea turtle patient Nicklen. While Julia and Bridgette were walking along the beach, they noticed something floating in the ocean. Upon realizing that the object was a sea turtle, they immediately notified the Center. After reporting the sick sea turtle, the girls later called LMC to confirm that Nicklen was doing well. Throughout Nicklen’s rehabilitation Julia and Bridgette continued to support the sea turtle by visiting, adopting and checking on Nicklen. We are thankful for Julia and Bridgette’s sea turtle advocacy!

Thank you to all of the members of the Save the Sea Turtles Club at the Binks Forest Elementary for donating a ton of towels, pencils, scrubbies and more to the Center. Last week, Mrs. Sands and her granddaughter delivered all of the donations to our hospital on behalf of the entire club. We thank all of the students and teachers who helped collect donations!

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Manatee Madness