The
Hilton Head Sun
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID BLUFFTON, SC PERMIT NO. 135 POSTAL CUSTOMER
June 5, 2024 • Volume 27, Issue 6 • Complimentary • HiltonHeadSun.com
Sea Turtle Nesting Season Kicks Off on Hilton Head BY AMBER KUEHN Contributor The sea turtle nesting season officially began on May 1st, and the first sea turtle nest was laid on Hilton Head on May 9th. To kick off the season, Sea Turtle Patrol HHI teamed up with Sea Pines Montessori and Hilton Head Running Company on May 11th for a Mom’s Day 5k and Loggerhead Loop for the kids. It was a great opportunity to highlight the theme for the 2024 sea turtle nesting season: NEXT GENERATION. Sea Turtle Patrol HHI is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission is to provide monitoring, support and awareness of sea turtle nesting to promote the continued existence of these endangered species. Although adults are impressed by these magnificent creatures, the children are the ones that “carry it forward until we meet again.” It is important for the message to sink in and the kids are the ones “still talking about the turtle lesson.” Fun Fact: Sea turtles are able to reproduce at age 30. One day, these children will return to Hilton Head with their own kids to experience the wonder of the sea tur-
tles. The hatchlings that they saw leaving the beaches years ago on their family vacation will have become the nesting females from the next generation of loggerheads. I hope that the Sea Turtle Patrol HHI legacy will have endured to allow them to meet again. The loggerhead is resilient and embodies hope. Their determination inspires us to persevere. With the protections that they have under the Endangered Species Act, we expect to continue to see a recovery in the population. Annually, STPHHI strives to fundraise for the Northern Recovery Unit DNA Program to make it possible to analyze samples from every nest. With these results, we are able to document which nesting females are returning and how many new recruits are entering the nesting population. Thank you to those who have supported the program and continue to cheer for the staff in the blue shirts working hard on the beach every day May – October. For updated nest numbers throughout the season, to Dedicate a Nest, and to learn more about sea turtles, please visit www.SeaTurtlePatrolHHI.org.
Summer Kicks Off: Safety Tips and Fun Await Beachgoers This Summer 10A
Wilkerson’s Departure Announcement
16A
On The Climb: Friendly Competition and Community 41A Spirit
Caravan Stops in Hilton Head, Bluffton
44A