The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the Turtle Watch Education Program will resume for the 2012 leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting season at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge.
As an important nesting site for these critically endangered sea turtles, Sandy Point NWR provides unique educational opportunities for the surrounding community. Each nesting season, hundreds of local students and adults visit the refuge to witness both leatherback nesting and hatchling emergence. The program, started in 1997 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, plays an important role in the conservation of the leatherback sea turtle.
As an important nesting site for these critically endangered sea turtles, Sandy Point NWR provides unique educational opportunities for the surrounding community. Each nesting season, hundreds of local students and adults visit the refuge to witness both leatherback nesting and hatchling emergence. The program, started in 1997 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, plays an important role in the conservation of the leatherback sea turtle.
The program fosters a conservation ethic that extends beyond the boundaries of the Refuge. An educated and concerned public is the greatest ally when it comes to the preservation of natural resources. Since 1997, thousands of schoolchildren and local adults have visited Sandy Point NWR to see leatherback sea turtles nesting. Beginning April 1, the turtle watch program will accept reservations from school, youth and community groups for turtle watch trips April through August. Weekend nights are limited to school and youth groups, and reservations are only accepted for groups of 15 to 30 people at a time.
For more information or reservations, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 690-9452 or e-mail [email protected].