Sea turtle nesting season in full swing across state

Sea turtle nesting season in full swing across state

By Florida Weekly Staff | on July 01, 2020
BY LAURA TICHY-SMITH

Baby sea turtles flying through the air? Fanciful and comical as that idea sounds, it actually takes place sometimes at Juno Beach during the height of sea turtle nesting season.

“By the end of peak season, because we have so many nests, we’ll start seeing turtles digging up other turtles’ nests just because there are so many on the beaches,” said Dr. Justin Perrault, director of research at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. “Sometimes, especially when we have high green turtle and high loggerhead years that coincide, you’ll see hatchlings from a nest that were ready to emerge and another mother turtle is digging on top of those and flinging the little hatchlings that are under the sand into the air inadvertently.”

Florida is a globally important nesting site for the loggerhead species, and research indicates Juno Beach may be the loggerheads’ most important nesting beach in the world. While nests number in the tens of thousands on that 9.5-mile stretch of beach, loggerheads — and their cousins the green, leatherback and occasionally the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles — nest on many beaches in Florida, which makes sea turtle and beach habitat protection critically important throughout this state. Some Southwest Florida beaches see nesting that numbers in the hundreds to low thousands each season, but sea turtles even check in at Key West to lay about a half-dozen nests per year. The nesting season is March 1-Oct. 1.

“We’ve never had a turtle nest on top of another nest,” said Denise Bohlig- Capone, who co-founded the volunteer Key West Sea Turtle Club with her husband, Ralph, about eight years ago. “Sea turtles seem to want their own space in Key West. It’s prime real estate, so they all grab their own little bit.”

An uptick of nest numbers in recent years seems to coincide with when various conservation laws went into effect, since sea turtles take up to 30 years to reach reproductive age. Protective laws range from federal endangered species listings and federally mandated turtle drowning prevention devices for nets on American commercial fishing vessels, to state laws protecting turtles from harassment and requiring permits and training to interact with turtles and nests for research purposes, to local beach lighting and seawall setback ordinances to keep the beaches dark and accessible for turtle nesting.

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Wanted: Folks to help count butterflies during annual tally

Wanted: Folks to help count butterflies during annual tally

By Florida Weekly Staff | on July 01, 2020

The Edison and Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers will participate in the North American Butterfly Association’s 45th annual butterfly count, which helps researchers monitor butterfly population trends throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico as well as the effects of weather and habitat loss.

The count at the estates this year is 10 a.m. to noon Friday, July 24.

Each year, butterflies are observed and counted at about 450 sites. The counts are tallied and compiled into annual reports, which are available through NABA and include information about species population size and geographical distribution. Each count site is required to cover a 15-mile diameter circle within one day. The Edison-Ford estates count includes Lakes Regional Park and Rotary Park to ensure coverage of 15 miles. Butterfly spotters may participate at any of the three locations.

Last year, participants counted a total of 383 butterflies, and 24 different species were observed. That number was down from the 2018 count, with 531 butterflies. Monarch, gulf fritillary and white peacock butterflies have been seen most frequently.

One team last year saw 78 white peacocks. Some of the other butterflies with significant numbers include the barred yellow, ceraunus blue, dainty sulphur and polydamas swallowtail.

The count offers butterfly enthusiasts a chance to observe many different species and practice their identification skills. It’s also an opportunity to meet other enthusiasts and share information.

Many participants have butterfly gardens in their own yards.

For anyone wishing to create a butterfly garden, a NABA-certified butterfly demonstration planting is viewable in the Garden Shoppe and both nectar and host plants are available for purchase.

To participate in the count, all butterfly enthusiasts must register with Lisa at LWilson@edisonford.org before July 17. The fee to participate is $5 per person, which covers the required fee the estates pays to NABA. Experience is helpful, but not required. Those with less experience can help record data or take photos.

Butterfly spotters should be prepared to walk outside for at least two hours in hot, humid weather. All participants should wear a hat and sunscreen and bring drinking water.

The total number of participants will be capped at 50, to allow for social distancing. For everyone’s safety, estates employees will be wearing masks and all participants will be encouraged to wear masks.

For additional information, visit www.EdisonFord.org or call 239-334-7419. ¦

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