Every year between May and September, hundreds of sea turtles make their way to the shores of North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Here, under the cover of dark, endangered turtles lay eggs.
Endangered species, including green, leatherback, and Kemp’s ridley turtles, crawl onto the beaches, digging large pits, and laying hundreds of eggs that incubate for about 60 days.
But those 60 days are crucial.
The national seashore’s beaches have been monitored since 1987 to help ensure the best success rates for these nests, which could otherwise be subject to attacks from beach predators, natural disasters, or human activity.
The goal in monitoring is to collect data about these nests and the species at large, and to ensure no unwelcome visitors come knocking.
But to do this, National Park Service rangers and specialists need help from locals. While one option is to “adopt a sea turtle nest,” locals can also volunteer to join the national seashore’s sea turtle nest watch program.
“Volunteers are assigned to monitor sea turtle nests during the evening hours, helping protect nesting areas from vehicle intrusion, sharing information with visitors, and contacting National Park Service staff if hatchlings begin emerging from a nest,” Island Free Press reports.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer must be an Ocracoke resident or long-term visitor who will be available throughout nesting season.
Volunteers must also attend an orientation scheduled for Tuesday, June 23 at the Ocracoke Community Center. During this training, volunteers will learn safety procedures and information about sea turtles and their nesting habits. They’ll also be invited to fill out paperwork to become certified NPS volunteers.
This year, Cape Hatteras National Seashore has recorded 83 sea turtle nests on Hatteras and Ocracoke islands as of June 14. Those nests include 79 loggerhead nests and three leatherback nests, according to Island Free Press.
“Like all national parks, the seashore is a special place that was established to help uphold the National Park Service's mission ‘to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations,’” the Cape Hatteras webpage reads.
“Conserving endangered species is an important part of this mission and a responsibility of all those who would be stewards of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.”
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Header image courtesy of NPS
