Network for Endangered Sea Turtles

2011 Year in Review

Nesting Season

   It was a very active year, by its success and calamities, for sea turtle nesting activity in the Outer Banks, with 19 nests laid and 1373 hatchlings departed for the sea. Nest #3 in Duck had 145 hatchlings, for a 96% success rate, the highest of the season. Three nests were lost to Hurricane Irene. Corolla was the busiest area with 5 nests and 2 false crawls. Duck and Nags Head each had 5 nests and Kitty Hawk and Southern Shores each had 2 nests. This summer was memorable in another way– almost the entire Nags Head beachfront was replenished during the nesting season, requiring the digging and relocating of the nests to a safe area elsewhere. We ended up with a “nursery” of 3 nests in one location, all of which were successful hatches.

   Arrangements were made with Happy Boxes Self Storage to store the ATV’s off season. At the annual meeting, Jim Bailey was presented this year’s ATV Driver of the Year Award.

Recap of 2011 Sea Turtle Season

Nest#1 found in Corolla:   Full Story
Nest #2 found in Kill Devil Hills:   Full Story
Nest#3 found in Duck:   Full Story
Nest #4 found in Kitty Hawk:   Full Story
Nest #5 found in Kitty Hawk:   Full Story
Nest #6 found in Corolla:   Full Story
Nest #7 found in Kill Devil Hills:   Full Story
Nest #8 found in Kill Devil Hills:   Full Story
Nest #9 found in Kill Devil Hills:   Full Story
Nest #10 found in Duck:   Full Story
Nest #11 found in Southern Shores:   Full Story
Nest #12 found in Nags Head:   Full Story
Nest #13 found in Corolla:   Full Story
Nest #14 found in Southern Shores:   Full Story
Nest #15 found in Duck:   Full Story
Nest #16 found in Duck:   Full Story
Nest #17 found in Kill Devil Hills:   Full Story
Nest #18 found in Duck:   Full Story

NCARI/NEST Rehabilitation Center

   The Aquarium opened a new exhibit in May. Using electronic chip technology in plastic reproductions, it provides visitors with a hands-on opportunity to rehabilitate a sea turtle. The Aquarium has announced that it will be building an expanded rehabilitation facility in 2012. Both should provide more volunteer opportunities. Stay tuned!

   During the 2010-11 winter season, 25 turtles were “rehabbed.” Since November, seven turtles have been admitted to the rehabilitation center. Four were too ill to survive. Two loggerheads and one Kemps Ridley are still undergoing treatment with positive prognoses. As of yearend, no cold stunned turtles have been admitted. More information can be found at the N.E.S.T. Rehab Blog

   The existing rehab tanks received some new dividers, thanks to the efforts of several volunteers.

   We can now comfortably and safely accommodate a larger sea turtle population, in the event of a severe cold stun event. New lighting and new doors were also installed. Click here for full story: N.E.S.T. Facility History

Election for 2012 Board of Directors

Linda Turowski was elected to fill the only open slot on the Board of Directors. Officers and Board Members for 2012 are:

President: Karen Fitzgerald (2011-12)                                 Members-at-Large: Linda Turowski (2012-13)

Vice President: Terry Brown (2011-12)                               Kaye Lyerly (2011-12)

Secretary: JoAnn Hummers (2011-12)                               Marilyn Seal (2011-12)

Treasurer: Chris Pruitt (2011-12)

Education and Outreach Highlights

   We provided sea turtle conservation conversations, danced a jig for, sang songs with, read to, dug a few sample nests for a variety of groups and participated with outreach, long distance, out of area (Raleigh - Newport News) activities for several thousand children and adults during the year.

   Twenty annual events from full elementary school classes to Green Teams, High School Career Day, and 4th grade class sea turtle projects blended in with the Artrageous Art Festival, the Outer Banks Summer Arts, the OBX Marathon, the Master Gardener Spring Flower Show(s) and Surfriders Big Beach Sweep.

   N.E.S.T. Thanks the NC Aquariums at Roanoke Island for a wonderful TOTUS opportunity. We added a mini movie projector to our presentation toolsand in our spare time designed and generated 5000 bookmarks explaining beach etiquette, thanks to the donation of funds from Stokesdale Elementary 4th Grade.

   Take a look at the Turtle Artwork submitted by Grace, Hannah and Zoe from Stokesdale Elementary School. Good Job! Keep coloring and keep sending them in.  N.E.S.T. Turtle Artwork

Financial Highlights

   The Board of Directors voted to take $4,000 from the operating account to start a “rainy day” fund. Donations funded the purchase of a multimedia projector. A contract was signed with Happy Boxes in Kitty Hawk to provide secure, year-round storage for the ATVs and other supplies.

N.E.S.T. merchandise is now available at three locations:

Dolphin Watch Gallery, Timbuk II Shops, Corolla

Encore by the Shore Salon, Beach Rd at MP 9 in Kill Devil Hills

Cloud Nine Gift Shop, Pirates Quay Shops, Bypass at MP 10 ¼ in Nags Head

Black Pelican Restaurant and Cottage Shops continue to participate in the wholesale DVD program. DVDs are also being sold at the NC Aquariums at Roanoke Island and at the WRC Education Center. Volunteers are encouraged to seek more avenues for selling the DVDs

   It is anticipated that we will end 2011 with favorable net revenue over expense. A 2012 budget was approved at the Annual Meeting. It reflects income of $15,150, expenses of $14,824, and net income over expense of $326.

   All in all we had a very busy, very productive year, thanks to the efforts of our 180+ volunteers.

Of Special Note

   N.E.S.T. volunteer and Duck ATV coordinator Jackie Orsulak, won the Grand Prize in the North Carolina Wildlife magazine 2010 Photo Contest. Her photo captures a couple of unusual circumstances: The turtle is seen in the evening light, hatchlings typically do not emerge until darkness; and both flippers are raised, while juvenile turtles usually drag themselves into the sea with an awkward “hand over hand” motion, which means that one flipper is up and the other down at any given time. See photo above left.

   Students at Stokesville Elementary School raised funds to purchase 1,000 bookmarks with information on keeping beaches clean and turtles safe to be distributed to residents and visitors.


   DVD Documentary of a 2009 Loggerhead turtle nest hatching in Corolla. Describes the life of sea turtles in the waters of the Outer Banks and the activities of N.E.S.T. volunteers SOLD OUT this year and we needed to reprint! A HOT seller!