Our Turtle Trackers spend time on the beach every evening assisting in filling in holes, flattening sand structures, picking up litter and sharing Sea Turtle stories and facts with our local residents and visitors to educate them about these endangered turtles. All you need to bring is a rake/hoe and a litter bag. We provide our Beach Ambassadors with red-light filters and information cards. Flattening the beach helps to ensure the mother nesting turtle and the hatchlings have a clear path.
Beach Sweeps
All Turtle Trackers have several coordinated beach sweeps throughout the year and mostly during turtle season (May-October), when the beaches are more crowded. We welcome all to participate. See our scheduled dates for Sweeps in “Upcoming Events”. Wear sunscreen and bring water, a bag and gloves.
Sea Turtle Learning Stations & Island Events
Sea Pines: On Sundays 2-4pm & Mondays 5-7pm, at the Salty Dog at the South Beach Marina.
Shelter Cove Marina – Tuesdays (June 15th – August) 5-8pm near the Neptune statue.
Throughout the year Turtle Trackers is invited by many local organizations to set up our Learning Station to educate the public at their events.
Turtle Trackers Docents
Amber Kuehn, Marine Biologist and Director of Sea Turtle Patrol Hilton Head Island and several of her members give Turtle Talks island-wide (see “Upcoming Events” tab), an interactive and in-depth educational experience focused on the life cycle of sea turtles and their hatchlings. Trackers provide support staff at these Talks.
Retail & Rental Outreach
Turtle Trackers work with the Retail Community and Rental Property managers on HHI to get the word out about sea turtle awareness, proper beach etiquette and ordinances surrounding turtles. Forming and nurturing the relationships with these two communities are a key initiative the Turtle Trackers spend time on.
Student Volunteers
Hilton Head Island students that are interested in earning community service hours can contact us to learn about opportunities available at turtletrackershhi@gmail.com.
