GOOD SAM GIVES BACK TO THE GEORGIA SEA TURTLE CENTER
- Rachael Johnson
- October 2021
- Jekyll Island, Georgia
- October 2021
- Georgia Sea Turtle Center
You may not have heard of Jekyll Island, Georgia. Jekyll Island is located off the coast of Georgia, in Glynn County. It is one of the Sea Islands and one of the Golden Isles of the Georgia barrier islands. Jekyll Island is one of only four Georgia barrier islands that has a paved causeway to allow access from the mainland by car. We took our RV, our 2 Traveling Dogs, Brickle and Digby and loaded up our truck to visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center as our Good Sam Giveback for October!
We parked our RV at the Jekyll Island Campground. This campground feels wild, yet luxurious with tall trees, room to roam and a short golf cart drive to the historic area of the island. We were fortunate to get a spot here and planned our week around visiting the staff and turtles at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. One of our favorite parts about RV travel is that you can plan your next destination around volunteering!
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is Georgia’s only sea turtle education and rehabilitation facility. The Center offers the public a chance to learn about sea turtles and see rehabilitation literally in action! I thought I loved turtles before our visit here. I am obsessed with turtles now including sea turtles, terrapins, gopher turtles, box turtles and many other animals on the island that they help here. We even were privileged to see a diamondback rattlesnake being cared for, from a distance!
You may not realize that by visiting the Georgia Sea Turtle Center that you would see yourself there. But we immediately knew what the staff meant by saying the best part of their jobs was seeing the people who were inspired by the turtles in their care. She said that people who have had cancer or injuries see themselves in the sea turtles that have been thru similar experiences. And she said seeing their determination to beat the odds help them to know that they can too. What will you learn about yourself if you visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center? You will have to visit to find out.
If you plan your visit at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center expecting to see sea turtles, you won’t be disappointed. But you will also meet many other turtles and bird species as well. With interactive exhibits, a window to watch surgeries and procedures by Dr. Norton and a staff that is readily accessible to ask any question you want to, this is a special place. And we truly realize that perhaps helping this organization and sea turtles will be in our future plans.
I have to admit, I did have a favorite turtle that I met here. Nicki Thomas, Education Programs Manager introduced us to Minuka, a diamondback terrapin. What is the difference between a terrapin and a turtle? Turtle is often used to refer to sea turtles that rarely leave the ocean. Terrapins are turtles that spend time both on land and in brackish, swampy water. The word “terrapin” comes from an Algonquian Indian word meaning “a little turtle.” Minuka is now an ambassador for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. As a former injured house pet, Minuka has a permanent home here and cannot be released.
But for us, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center was not just about the turtles. So many people, including the staff here, do not get the thanks and recognition that they so truly deserve! We wanted to focus our efforts not on just learning about the animals here, but also about the people who make this possible. We asked Michelle Kaylor, Director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center what would cheer up the staff and what was something special that we could do for them. Michelle let me know over the phone that their staff was the heart and soul of the center. She said that long hours, early days and late nights were part of the routine. There is always an animal in need here. And they are always there to help. So after thinking, Michelle let us know that the staff was in need of shoes! They are on their feet for hours and hours per day on concrete, wilderness areas, the beach and in water. Good Sam made it possible for us to purchase waterproof, comfortable shoes for the entire staff!
Another thing that the center needed was an ice machine! Michelle explained that cold stunned turtles often have to be brought back to a normal temperature slowly, and ice helps to regulate their recovery. Also, since they have so many school visitors, packing lunches and using ice is essential along with ice for staff. So Good Sam also made it possible to have a new ice machine delivered right to their door!
When we plan a Good Sam Giveback, we want to contribute not only monetarily by means of supplies or necessities, but also, we want to contribute by lending a helping hand. We were fortunate to be able to take part in feeding the sea turtles and we also organized a beach day where we handed out reusable, Good Sam water bottles to reduce marine debris.
We also were given a first hand look into what a typical day at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center involves. Dr. Terry Norton, Director of Veterinary Services and Wildlife Health, started this amazing place, and he devotes himself 100% to the patients in his care. To watch him help a gopher turtle who’s shell had been damaged and just a few minutes later help a sea turtle who was partly paralyzed was something we will never forget. He took the time to not only look at their ailments, but he also looked into their eyes and gave them the respect they so deserved. We asked Dr. Norton if he had ever thought about doing another job. He stated that he knew he would always work with animals. And we cannot imagine a world for sea turtles without Dr. Norton’s care and knowledge.
What impressed us the most about the Georgia Sea Turtle Center was the love that the staff had for each other and also for the public who walk thru their doors. Numerous times, we heard that every good deed has a ripple effect, and this is what they concentrate on. Educating visitors on the importance of recycling and respecting the environment and wildlife is key.
What many may not realize during their travels to Jekyll Island is that the island and the sea turtle center are maintained and made possible by donations and education. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center provides education not only to its visitors, but also education to schools as well by providing numerous educational resources to teachers. So many of the staff told us that their goal is to educate younger ones about the importance of caring for the environment and how that everything we do has a ripple effect. We agree!
The Georgia Sea Turtle Center was so inspiring to us that we visited for three days in a row and we woke up at sunrise to help with a sea turtle nest excavation and we would do it all again. The GSTC in invaluable not only to the patients it cares for, but to their community as well. Teaching the importance of conservation, recycling and picking up marine debris is key to their efforts, and we can all help in our own areas and while traveling.
Thanks to Good Sam for allowing us to pick a deserving organization each month. This is a giveback that truly changed our lives. And isn’t that what giving back is all about? Create a ripple effect and watch positive changes happen for individuals like the sea turtles.