Thursday, April 30 - Latest News from Dr Hannides

Dear Waties turtle nesters,

I hope you are reading this message in good health.

The official beginning of the turtle nesting monitoring season is almost upon us and I owe you an update regarding the program you are volunteering with.

The latest communication from SC DNR (April 29, 2020) states, among other things, that:  “Sea turtle nest monitoring activities as of 1 May … must be conducted in isolation unless you are members of the same household. The sea turtle program has talked with many project leaders about how to adjust each project’s beach coverage to the new normal of social distancing. The protocol of social distancing will persist throughout the season.”

Virtual training and survey-taking of your leaders has concluded and we are awaiting for permits to be issued. Getting a proper permit is very important in the case of Waties because Waties is a private island. Access to the island is both a privilege to all of us volunteers and a liability for its owners. We therefore need to receive the DNR permit, issue Letters of Authorization to the patrol leaders, and then request access from CCU, only for the patrol leaders at this point.

Because of these peculiarities of this private location and the SC DNR exigency rules, participation from the rest of the volunteers is currently not possible. As the State and DNR issue new directives and updates to these rules, we will act accordingly, with personal safety and the scope of the permit being paramount.

Until then, keep checking your email address, our blog (http://witurtles.blogspot.com) and our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Waties-Island-Turtle-Watch-182846128434586/) for updates. .

Best wishes!

Angelos.