By Julie Traweek | Project Manager
Sea Turtle Foundation is continuing our work to protect sea turtles in Australia and around the world through research, education, and action. We had a fairly low-key nesting season, with green turtles nesting in very low numbers and flatbacks in stable numbers. STF volunteers were able to assist in directing hatchlings from one of the flatback nests on the Strand into the water; the heavy lighting in this very developed stretch of beach disoriented the hatchlings and they went straight into the road.
STF has also been helping our state parks staff run trainings for volunteers to respond to turtle stranding calls (dead, sick or injured animals that wash up on shore). The first training in Mission Beach had over 30 attendees, and the next training is full, over a month before the event! Two more trainings are planning in late May, in Airlie Beach and Mackay. This will ensure we have trained volunteers covering over 600km of coastline!
Our research trips are set to begin next week (the first two dates were cancelled due to our unpredictable weather), and we'll be assisting JCU researchers with weighing, measuring, tagging and photographing turtles in the Edgecumbe Bay area, and checking them for fibropapilloma, parasites and general body condition. Winter is usually when our stranding calls increase, so we hope to get a better idea of how the resident population is doing before the onset of the cooler weather.
Thank you for supporting Sea Turtle Foundation, and stay tuned for our upcoming reports from the field!
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