VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Nest Surveys (aka Walkers)
Walker are assigned to walk a specific zone of the beach in the morning on a specific day of the week.
Responsibilities:
Find and report sea turtle crawls
Maintain nests
Clean up beach
Report hatchling signs
Inventory Team
The Inventory Team perform inventories of all turtle nests 3 days after indication of hatching are observed.
Responsibilities:
Clear all equipment from the nest
Open nest and empty nest of its contents
Count egg shells, live hatchlings, dead hatchlings, and unhatched eggs to determine number of eggs in nest.
Record statistics for submission to the DNR.
Protect any live hatchlings during their walk to the sea.
Interact with and educate spectators.
Pre-Hatch Activity Team (aka PHAT)
The Pre-Hatch Activity Team works to maintain and protect sea turtle nests with a special focus on the critical weeks leading up to hatching. PHAT participation requires availability to walk the beach in the late afternoon or evening on assigned day(s).
Responsibilities:
Monitoring, documenting, and reporting nests conditions as they approach their hatch date.
Maintaining nest sites by identifying and correcting issues.
Protecting hatchlings by improving beach conditions, assisting with equipment installation and educating beachgoers.
The Social Committee is responsible for all aspects of facility and refreshments for the Kick-Off Meeting, the T-shirt Pick-Up Party, and the Year-End Dinner.
Responsibilities:
Event planning.
Bidding and selection of vendors and menu.
Managing all phases of refreshment/food delivery process.
Set up and breakdown of chairs, tables, and AV equipment in advance of meetings.
Managing all phases of refreshment/food delivery process.
Handling post-meeting clean up.
Social Committee
The Education Committee is responsible for providing team members, residents, visitors, and the public with educational opportunities about sea turtles and other related wildlife and conservation topics.
Responsibilities:
. Provide education to new team members
. Provide education to observers at public inventories
Provide educational sessions at local schools, camps and for visiting groups
Represent turtle patrol at community events such as the South Carolina Aquarium’s Turtle Day
Education Committee
The Government & Community Outreach Committee is responsible for government, civic, and public relations communications.
Responsibilities:
Prepare articles & press releases for local publications such as Tidelines, local newspapers, etc.
Represent turtle patrol before associations and committees, such as SIPOA