The Family Vacation Rental Group (FVR) presented a $10,000 check to the Island Turtle Team for its ongoing genetics research program last month.
“Supporting the Island Turtle Team is an example of our commitment of ng back to our community,” co-chair Mel Miles stated. “We are also posting ‘Lights Out for Turtles’ signs in our oceanfront vacation homes to ensure that our family vacation rental guests are informed about local regulations and the importance of protecting our turtles.”
The Family Vacation Rental Group, composed of 17 locally and professionally-managed vacation rental companies, is a sub-committee of the Isle of Palms Chamber of Commerce formed to improve communication and livability with our residents. Representing over 80% of all professionally-managed properties, the FVR is committed to being a responsible and caring member of the Isle of Palms community.
Since 2010, the Island Turtle Team has collected genetic samples to read DNA from each nest. This data is continuously added to a multistate database that shows the nesting history of tens of thousands of individual loggerhead mothers on the Atlantic Coast. This valuable information includes how many nests each has laid, where they are laid, how often each one is nesting and even who her daughters and granddaughters might be.
The Island Turtle Team is an all-volunteer group consisting of approximately 180 people who find and protect loggerhead nests on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island with the permission of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Program. Because sea turtles are endangered species, every year the Turtle Team must apply for and receive a Nesting Permit that entitles them to:
- Identify and mark nests, inventory hatched nests and recover hatchlings
- Use a probe to locate eggs, relocate nests and screen them against predators
- Collect one eggshell from each nest for genetics research
Dozens of volunteers walk our beaches each morning during nesting season. If they find tracks, they alert an authorized team member to locate eggs and mark the nest. Some nests are moved to safer locations. Each nest is marked with an orange SCDNR sign and screened against predators.
For many years this genetic research project was funded by federal grants, but these were discontinued several years ago. Since each eggshell sample costs about $30 to collect, transport and process, the entire expense is almost $100,000 annually. The Turtle Team tries to raise funds each year to donate and play even a small part in keeping this project going.
Visit islandturtleteam.org for more information on their volunteer efforts.
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