Turtle Patrol
Turtle Patrol is the most visible and the most direct way of gathering and documenting sea turtle activity on the Gasparilla Island beaches. Beach surveys are conducted at sunrise daily throughout the nesting season (mid-April through October). This volunteer activity requires a significant amount of physical activity, including walking in the sand and dunes, carrying supplies, hammering stakes, and hand-digging deep holes to inventory nests. Being a Turtle Patrol volunteer requires a serious time commitment and excellent attention to detail, as these individuals mark nests, monitor nest activity, and collect data for submission to the FWC and local county authorities.
Turtle Patrol Support
The Turtle Patrol volunteers require additional support to perform their duties efficiently and effectively. Two less physically demanding ways to provide such support for patrol activities are painting nest stakes and cutting screens. These activities are only needed on a periodic basis and can be conveniently conducted at a volunteer’s home. All supplies are provided or reimbursed by the BGSTA. This is a great opportunity if you are unable to commit to walking patrol three days a week but you could perform these duties every few weeks during the busiest times of the season. Additional similar support activities may be developed in the future.
Fundraising Support
To maintain the ability to support these endangered sea turtles, the BGSTA requires sufficient funding. Fundraising efforts help to purchase Turtle Patrol supplies (e.g., stakes, screens, tape, bridge passes), educational materials (e.g., brochures, beach/lighting reminders during nesting season), and other needs associated with the ongoing activities of the BGSTA. Volunteer assistance with the various fundraising activities throughout the year will help the BGSTA achieve its goals. Whether you have some great fundraising ideas yourself or are just willing to lend a hand during our fundraising activities, please consider helping in this area.
Website Support
The BGSTA maintains a website as well as a Facebook page to educate the public about the sea turtles that nest on Gasparilla Island and the BGSTA activities that support them. The BGSTA’s goal is to have an interesting and informative website, and this requires periodic fresh news and features, as well as volunteers to help manage the website. If you have talent in this area, please consider assisting the BGSTA with this activity.