Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Tucking in for the night


This is what it looks like when you screen a nest at night. You may click on the photo for more detail.

Before dark, a ranger or volunteer will head out to nests where activity is being heard and hatchlings are close to emerging. A screen is placed over the location of the egg chamber and sand is built up around it. This keeps the crabs out and also confines the tiny hatchlings should they emerge when no one is there (and possibly become disoriented).

Someone will patrol the nests during the night to check the progress.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I love to see people doing things like this. You don't have to take the time to watch over the nests and help with them but you do. It's inspiring.

I'll have to tell you my turtle hero story one day.

Turtle Girl said...

DJ --

hard to imagine that very well buried screen had just floated away by the time I got to the nest early this morning. Thanks so much for getting back up before the sun to help us get those 70 little loggerheads into the Gulf, and away from the street lights!

Kirsten