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The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade in partnership with the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department has announced that The Batchelor Foundation recently awarded a $15,000 grant to the Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program.
The funds have made it possible for the Sea Turtle Conservation Program to purchase state-of-the-art Global Positioning System (GPS) trackers, so they can better track and monitor sea turtle nesting activities on Miami-Dade County beaches.
The Batchelor Foundation is aimed at providing philanthropic support to organizations focused on promoting the good health, education and well-being of children, animal welfare, and the preservation of the natural environment in the South Florida community.
The sea turtle nest tracking project is currently underway. It utilizes the newly purchased Trimble R1, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver that provides higher accuracy positioning data to any connected mobile device using Bluetooth technology, which allows for better tracking of nesting activities and in locating nests that may have been washed over by tides and storms or vandalized by the public.
Each year, approximately 600 nests are laid on Miami-Dade County beaches. Nests that are not marked off or monitored properly, are most vulnerable to mechanical beach cleaning activities.
During nesting surveys, each new nest and its location are recorded and marked with wooden stakes, neon flagging tape, and a nest sign to create a safe perimeter that protects the nest and allows surveyors to monitor it on a daily basis. The data collected during these surveys is submitted to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and utilized to measure the effectiveness of conservation strategies, and to improve conservation planning and management each year.
The Miami-Dade County Sea Turtle Conservation Program was established in 1980 as a crucial component of the Miami-Dade County Parks Department’s efforts to ensure sea turtle survival.
Today, program staff survey beaches throughout the county for sea turtle activity, from Golden Beach at the northern county line, south to the Village of Key Biscayne — a stretch of beach totaling approximately 19 miles. This stretch includes monitoring for seven oceanfront municipalities and two county beach parks (Crandon and Haulover Parks.)
Note: The annual sea turtle nesting season runs Mar. 1-Oc. 31. If you find a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle, call FWC’s 24-hour Wildlife Alert at 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922).
For more information about the Miami-Dade Sea Turtle Conservation Program, visit the miamidade.gov.
