The Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program Receives Equipment and Funding Through Foundation’s Adopt-A-Nest Program
Connie Versteeg
NSTSTF Staff Marine Biologist
NSTSTF Staff Marine Biologist
On Saturday, June 18, Connie Versteeg and Sue Speciale of the National Save The Sea Turtle Foundation presented a check for $7,380 to student employees of Nova Southeastern University and the Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program. The funds were acquired through the Foundation’s Adopt-A-Nest program, which provides the opportunity for the public to directly support Broward County’s sea turtle conservation activities by sponsoring specific sea turtle nests that are monitored and evaluated by Nova students and staff. So far this year there are close to 1400 sea turtle nests on Broward County beaches, and approximately 300 of them have been sponsored through this program.
The National Save The Sea Foundation was also pleased to provide a new John Deere beach vehicle to the Broward Couny Sea Turtle Conservation program for quick and easy access to the entire nesting beach. Conditions on the beach during the summer months can be very harsh, and this vehicle will be enormously useful for students and staff to safely and efficiently transport materials and people to the nests on the beach.
The National Save The Sea Foundation was also pleased to provide a new John Deere beach vehicle to the Broward Couny Sea Turtle Conservation program for quick and easy access to the entire nesting beach. Conditions on the beach during the summer months can be very harsh, and this vehicle will be enormously useful for students and staff to safely and efficiently transport materials and people to the nests on the beach.
Top: Sue Speciale (left) and Connie Versteeg in the new
beach vehicle provided by the National Save The Sea Turtle
Foundation. Bottom: Nova Southeastern University students
carefully monitor sea turtle nests in Broward County
back row L-R Elizabeth Colhoun, Connie Versteeg, Kellie Pelikan,
Jessica Boyd, Jessica Novy, Derek Burkholder and front L-R Sue
Speciale and Sami McCorkle receive a check for $7,380 to support
their sea turtle nesting work in Broward County.
The group met at the first leatherback nest to have hatched this season, where its relative success was determined by excavating the contents left behind by the departing hatchlings. Each nest sposorship includes a picture of a stake marked with the sponsor’s name, certificate of adoption, a stylus pen, an 8.5x11 inch poster, a subscription to Outreach Magazine, and notification of when the nest was laid and hatched along with how many hatchlings made their way to the water. Please visit www.savetheseaturtle.org for further information.
After each nest has hatched, the team excavates the contents to determine the success of the nest.
