PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE’S PASSION FOR MODERN AND ANCIENT TRACES: INVESTIGATING REPTILE BURROWS ON THE GEORGIA COAST

REPTILES ROCK!: Paleontologist Barbie loves the adventure of studying both modern and fossil reptile traces, as well as thinking artistically about the intricacies of her observations. (Photo by  Hallellujah Truth)

In July 2011 Paleontologist Barbie accompanied my brilliant Chiboogamoo to the Georgia coast to investigate modern alligator dens and gopher tortoise burrows on St Catherines Island. I was happy to interview Paleontologist Barbie about her interest in reptiles, modern and ancient traces, and her ongoing interests in the visuals arts that complement her scientific inquiries (To learn more about Paleontologist Barbie's rasion d'etre being art and science, read an earlier blog) .

ALLIGATOR DEN ENTRANCE. Paleontologist Barbie, in a quest to better understand the fossil record of reptiles, decides to investigate some of the traces made modern alligators and sea turtles on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. “Why not take on the biggest and most dangerous reptiles first?” she asks, while checking out an alligator-den entrance. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH: Why study reptile burrows?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: First of all, because they are really cool! There are some burrows from almost 250 million years ago, for example, from South Africa made by synapsid reptiles that look like they lived in colonies underground. These synapsid burrows are complicated. Yet, when most people hear the word “reptile,” they don’t think “complicated.” Reptile burrows say otherwise.

HALLELUJAH: Could you define “burrow”?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: That’s a great question! You’d think it is straightforward, but it’s not. Because you can say “to burrow,” and that is a verb. But “a burrow” usually means it is an open structure made by an animal by digging in the ground.

HALLELUJAH: Yes….

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: But digging in the ground doesn’t necessarily make a burrow.

HALLELUJAH: Can you explain that?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Your dog can bury a bone in the backyard by doing just a little bit of digging, but that’s not a burrow. A burrow usually means it is going to be home where an animal lives.

HALLELUJAH: So as a paleontologist, you are mostly interested in ancient burrows or fossil homes?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: It is ALL good! I’m interested in both modern and ancient burrows. That’s why I went to St. Catherines Island. I wanted to learn about modern reptile burrows so I could compare them to ancient ones. Reptile burrows are documented for close to 250 million years from the geologic record.

HALLELUJAH: Can you explain why paleontologists study modern traces to interpret fossil ones?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: There is a principle in geology, and it’s  a really long word but it’s worth knowing. It is called “uniformitarianism.”

HALLELUJAH: Okay….

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: It means that what we see today may be applied to what has happened in the past.

HALLELUJAH: Can you give an example?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Sure. On the Georgia islands, alligators make wide deep burrows that they use as dens. When we look at those modern burrows, we can use them as examples to compare to burrows made by animals similar to alligators in the fossil record. 

OBSERVING THE EPEHMERAL. “Well, this den looks occupied, judging from these fresh tracks and tail dragmark,” she points out, using her characteristically keen observation skills. She notes (with some sadness) that such traces are much less likely to be preserved in the geologic record as trace fossils, whereas the den, as a deep burrow, has a much better chance of making it into the fossil record. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH: Why conduct your studies about reptile burrows on the Georgia coast?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: First of all, Georgians are really lucky to have the barrier islands! Many of them still have their natural environments, which really help us paleontologists study living reptiles in their modern habitats.

HALLELUJAH: Isn’t there something special about the Georgia coast barrier islands that make them unique to the other islands along the eastern coast of the United States?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Yes! Geologists call them “composite islands” because they’re made up of both modern sand and mud from two different time periods. The Pleistocene sand and mud was left more than 10,000 years ago. Then the Holocene deposits were made only in the past few thousand years. Of the more than 2,000 barrier islands around the world, this composite geology of both the Pleistocene and Holocene makes the Georgia barrier islands one of a kind.

HALLELUJAH: In geologic time, 10,000 years seems fairly  recent…but then barrier islands are constantly forming, shifting and changing. I’m sure paleontologists will keep looking at our Pleistocene-Holocene barrier islands and learning new and relevant things! 

What can you tell me about the alligator dens that you were looking at on St. Catherines Island with my Chiboogamoo?

MOTHER ALLIGATOR.  A good mother dens with her young in a burrow on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Notice the baby to the left of the photo! (Photo by Anthony Martin)

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: What’s really neat about these burrows is that they demonstrate family values. The mother alligator uses these burrows to protect the baby alligators. The dens are used as places where the babies can hide from predators, and the mother can stay in the den with them to ensure their safety.

HALLELUJAH: What’s significant about the alligator dens on the Georgia barrier islands?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE:  This is a very exciting research question that I am pursuing with your husband Chiboogamoo.

ANOTHER ALLIGATOR DEN. A dried-out pond on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, gave my Chiboogamoo and Paleo Barbie an opportunity to further investigate alligator burrowing. (Photo by Hallelujah Truth)

CONTINUING THE INVESTIGATIONS. Another alligator den beckons, its entrance obscured by tall grass. Does this stop Paleontologist Barbie? No! You might say she’s the honey badger of paleontologists. Stopping suddenly, Paleontologist Barbie hears the high-pitched grunting of a hatchling alligator nearby. “Whoa,” she says, but with much more feeling than Keanu Reeves. “This den is being used for brooding young! I’d better respect Momma Alligator and not spend much time here,” she says, neatly demonstrating that ethical concerns are often a part of scientific decisions. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH: Can you say something about your innovative research techniques?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I can’t reveal that information yet because it hasn’t gone through peer review yet. I can say that we are applying cutting-edge, state-of-the-art technology that is going to kick butt—I hope you don’t mind that expression of enthusiasm!

USING CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY. Satisfied that this alligator den is worth further study, Paleontologist Barbie begins a cooperative research project with Sheldon Skaggs (left) and Kelly Vance (right) of Georgia Southern University. Here they are preparing to use ground-penetrating radar to make images of the alligator den. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

YAH! “Let’s roll!” she says with her trademark enthusiasm for scientific endeavors. Sheldon and Paleontologist Barbie start the imaging of the alligator den by pushing the ground-penetrating radar device on the area that probably overlies the den. “If it weren’t so cliché to say so,” she says, “I would call this cutting-edge, state-of-the-art research.” Nonetheless, she makes a mental note to use those words in a grant proposal, knowing that no granting agency will fund her unless she uses those descriptors. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

THE EXPERIMENT IS A SUCCESS! “Nice parabola!” she exclaims. The ground-penetrating radar unit, which emits high-frequency microwaves to reflect off produce its data, makes profiles based on differences of electrical conductivity just underneath the ground surface. In this instance, the higher parabolas (“bumps”) on the profile indicate the probable location of the alligator den. (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

HALLELUJAH: I know that you are also looking at burrows of the humble gopher tortoise. Why?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE:  Well, the gopher tortoise may look humble, but their role in a longleaf pine—wire grass ecosystem is anything but humble.  I caution you to remember that appearances can be deceiving (As Paleontologist Barbie winks, her long lashes flutter and she flicks her long curly black hair over her lean, attractive shoulders). That’s why I really identify with the gopher tortoise and am enjoying studying its burrow system. People often underestimate my intelligence because of my feminine appearance.

THE LANDLORD OF THE LONGLEAF PINE FOREST: A gopher tortoise out of its burrow. See the gopher tortoise blog written and posted by my Chiboogamoo on his website, Life Traces of the Georgia Coast. (Photo by Anthony Martin on Jekyll Island at the 4-H Center.)

MEASURING THE SAND APRON. In January 2011, my Chiboogamoo began his investigations of gopher tortoise burrows with Kelly Vance and Sheldon Skaggs on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. (photo by Hallelujah Truth)

HALLELUJAH: Paleo Barbie, you are certainly helping us change our perceptions of what it means to be a “girl”!

Well, can you briefly tell me about the gopher tortoise’s role in the ecosystem is?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: They are like the landlords of their ecosystems, but they don’t charge rent. Their burrows can hold more than 300 species of animals, including many rare ones like the indigo snake and the gopher frog.

HALLELUJAH: What are you learning about gopher-tortoise burrows through your investigations?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Earlier, I said reptile burrows are thought to be simple but are actually complicated. We are finding that gopher tortoise burrows connect with one another, forming complex systems. See your husband's comments about these burrows in his blog, "Gopher Tortoises, Making Deep and Meaningful Burrows."

HALLELUJAH: Talk to me about your decision to work with my Chiboogamoo and Professors Sheldon Skaggs and Kelly Vance.

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: They are fun guys and easy to work with. They love having somebody like me work with them. I’m fearless and unafraid of doing fieldwork. I jump into alligator dens and gopher-tortoise burrows with both booted feet. The advantage of my size permits me to do in-depth burrow research! Plus, it is great working with Sheldon, Kelly, and Chiboogamoo because they have done so much research on the Georgia coast.

HALLELUJAH: What kinds of precautions did you take while you were investigating the alligator dens and gopher tortoise burrows?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: You have to approach alligator dens very carefully. Fortunately, I’m very light footed, so they don’t usually detect me. Then gopher tortoises aren’t dangerous at all, but you still want to respect them and the animals that live in the burrows with them. That’s one of the reasons why we used new, non-invasive technology to study their burrows without disturbing them.

HALLELUJAH: Were there any other precautions necessary while you were out doing field research in this longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Yes! Protection against ticks, mosquitoes, gnats, and worst of all—chiggers! The female archaeologists there on St. Catherines were duct-taping their jeans around their ankles just to deter chigger bites! We all still wear sundresses in the evening at happy hour, so we all look festive while we discuss our findings, despite the horrible devouring of our flesh in the name of research! We also do regular tick checks!

HALLELUJAH: Finally, what do you hope to accomplish from these investigations?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: We hope to know more about the lives of alligators and gopher tortoises and how similar or different these lives were compared to reptiles of the ancient past. Investigations like these help us to better understand evolution!

HALLELUJAH: I know that in addition to your interests in science, you also like to go deep into the psychological realm because it informs your understanding of art. What kind of insights did you take away from your research about reptiles on St. Catherine’s Island?

ALLIGATOR ART. While on St. Catherines Island, Georgia,  Paleo Barbie  purchased a hand-built clay plate by Elizabeth Halderson, who grew up on the island because her father is the island manager.  Elizabeth sells her work on an Etsy site. (Photo by Hallelujah Truth)

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: Because the alligators and gopher tortoises makes such intriguing forms and architectures with their burrows, I am inspired artistically to imitate or elaborate these forms in future artworks, so stay-tuned!

HALLELUJAH: Can you tell us the meaning that Native Americans assign to alligators and turtles?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: When I want to know the symbolic significance of an animal, I delve into Ted Andrew’s “Animal Speak” and recommend that everyone get a copy to deepen her connection with nature.

Briefly, the alligator, a symbol of power and fertility, represents primal energy and knowledge on two levels, both land and water. That’s awesome!

Then—about the gopher tortoise—well, turtles are ancient vertebrates that exist in mythologies around the world. The turtle, like the alligator, connects to a primal energy. For now, l will just say that the turtle should remind us of our connection with MOTHER EARTH. As the turtle inhabits its shell, we inhabit the earth. We have all we need right here, right now!

A SHOUT OUT FOR GOPHER TORTOISE ART. Paleo Barbie loves Elizabeth Halderson's hand built clay works! (Photo by Hallelujah Truth)

HALLELUJAH: Yes, Paleo Barbie! Thank you for that—“We have all we need right here, right now!”

Will you be returning to the Georgia coast and St. Catherine’s Island?

PALEONTOLOGIST BARBIE: I hope so! This island is a fantastic natural laboratory for understanding how nature works, and it is a peaceful place. I get inspiration for both my science and art here!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Great appreciation to my collaborator in LIFE, ART, and SCIENCE--Chiboogamoo! See his blog on our collaborative piece of art, "Abstractions of a Rising Sea," that we are exhibiting at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History through January 1, 2012. How fortunate we are to know and work with the naturalists and scientists along the Georgia coast! In this case, thanks to the magnificent staff of St. Catherines Island.

DISCOVERING THE TRACE MAKER.  Tracking is especially exciting when you venture upon the animal that made the trace! (Photo by Hallelujah Truth)

UNITING SCIENCE AND ART. Chiboogamoo and Hallelujah Truth at an alligator pond on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, in July 2011. (Photo by Sheldon Skaggs)

PALEONTOLOGISTS AT WORK! Paleontologist Barbie provides scale for David Varricchio and Chiboogamoo as they photograph the mold of the sea turtle nest. (Photo by Hallelujah Truth)

SEA TURTLE NESTS. Switching her research interests from alligator traces on the inland environments of St. Catherines Island, Paleontologist Barbie checks out some sea-turtle nests. Because sea turtles have been around for more than 100 million years, their nests could show up as trace fossils in rocks from that time span. Working cooperatively with colleagues from Montana State University - David Varricchio, Frankie Jackson, Dan Lawver, and Mike Knell – they used polyurethane foam to cast a loggerhead sea-turtle nest. “So this is what it would look like in the fossil record!” she says with more than a little wonder in her voice.  (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin)

BABY SEA TURTLES! Some of the sea-turtle nests had been hatching their eggs, but not all of the baby sea turtles make it out of the nest without human help. This is where Gale Bishop often comes to their rescue, saving baby sea turtles wherever he goes on St. Catherines Island (St. Catherines Sea Turtle Conservation Program). In this case, it meant Paleontologist Barbie got to spend some quality time with a few loggerhead hatchlings and observe some of their trackways associated with their body movements. “They’re cute AND fantastic tracemakers!” she says. “I’ll definitely be back to do more research!” (Photo and caption by Anthony Martin) To read more about sea turtle nests and hatchinglings, read my blog: Sea Turtles Need Us: Relocating Nests on St. Catherines Island, Georgia.

HOMAGE TO AN ALL AMERICAN BIRD: The American Oystercatcher

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: ALL AMERICAN BIRD (art by Hallelujah Truth based on photos by Jen Hilburn)

HALLELUJAH to the American OysterCatcher in recognition of its bright, oblong orange bill, circular red-rimmed eyes, striking black and white feathers, and long salmon-colored legs. Citizens of the United States take note of this All-American bird that spends its 30-40 year life-span traversing our eastern coastline from Maine to Florida. This bird may be flying into extinction.

At the end of July 2011, I was lucky enough to see this “patriot” bird in its natural habitat. I left the city streets and congested interstate of the Atlanta Metropolitan area, with my Chiboogamoo to voyage out to St. Catherines, a barrier island along the Georgia coast. While Chiboogamoo was examining gopher tortoise burrows, I was fortunate enough to be taken out on a boat to monitor the local American oystercatchers. 

ST. CATHERINES AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER MONITORING: Jen Hilburn, ornithologist at St. Catherines, waits while Rachel shows me what a "scrape" nest looks like on this "rake," a place where American oystercatchers dig a shallow depression in the oyster shells to lay their eggs. You can see how vulnerable a ground nest would be to tides, wakes from boats, and sea storm surge.

Along with Jen Hilburn, the island ornithologist, and her assistant, Rachel Harris, we visited three locations: Grass Island, Cedar Flat, and Condo Corner. Condo Corner received its funny name from Jen because of the way three pairs of oystercatchers nested in a row this past season. At the time I visited these nesting sights, the breeding pairs had already broken up and were moving about the St. Catherines area. We saw one mom and dad with their fledgling at Condo Corner. When the tide is high and their food sources like oysters, bivalves, lettered olives, and moon snails are submerged, Jen explained to me, they have nothing to do but lounge around.

GRASS ISLAND: Another American oystercatcher nesting site. Vulnerable?

LOUNGING AROUND: An American oystercatcher pair and their fledgling hanging out until the tide goes down and they can forage for food.

You might ask why this magnificent bird is dying out. Well, sadly, its enemies are many. Global warming and its resulting sea level rise is causing shorelines and these small sanctuaries of land to disappear under water. These ground nesters are then left without a place to “scrape” a shallow nest into sand or oyster shells. Predators also take their toll on these easily accessible ground nests. Hungry and plentiful raccoons, minks, feral hogs, ghost crabs and other avians eat both eggs and baby birds.

SEE THE SCRAPE NEST?: Rachel Harris stands next to the scrape nests that are barely visible except to the expert eye.

Added to these alarming consequences of sea level rise and animal predation is human development. People are building homes and hotels in places that used to provide sanctuaries for American oystercatchers to nest. In addition to having fewer places to nest, when these birds do make their ground nests on the remaining undeveloped shorelines, they are inadvertently disrupted. Unwittingly boats and cars disturb these almost invisible nests. If the nests escape human destruction, they may not survive the dogs that accompany the people.

LIFE-CYCLE OF THE AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER

These causes that prevent the American oystercatcher from successfully producing young are persistent. The end result is that the disruptions in their life-cycle is that this stately American bird will cease to exist. Scientists are doing what they can to try to help this bird survive.

For four years now, Jen has monitored the nesting habitats of the American Oystercatcher on St. Catherines and along the intercoastal water way, counting nesting pairs, incubating eggs, and banding fledglings and any adult that is not nesting. The more birds are banded, Jen told me, the more you can learn about the pairs and their breeding habits.  For two of these four years, she has participated in the American Oystercatcher Working Group, a nationwide organization, which is keeping count of all American oystercatchers along the eastern coast and doing what they can to assist their longevity.

But the success at St. Catherines is dismal despite their efforts. Just look at the statistics from the 2011 breeding season. Jen and Rachel observed 22 nesting pairs. They incubated eggs from 50% of these nests because so many eggs left in the nests are predated or washed away by the sea. If I understood them correctly, from their efforts, none succeeded in making it to the stage where it could “fledge” or fly away. Only one pair of American oystercatchers on St. Catherines succeeded in producing one fledging naturally. A species can not continue if it cannot reproduce more abundantly.

LET THERE BE BABIES!

How noble it is of these naturalists to perpetuate life, to study life, and to honor life. Hallelujah for avians and the ornithologists who study and assist them. Hallelujah for St. Catherines, an island sanctuary for the American oystercatcher, a beautiful of the United States’ eastern shores!

JEN HILBURN and RUTH SCHOWALTER

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: I am so thankful to my Chiboogamoo! His paleontological interests challenge me to grow. It is by accompanying him on his scientific investigations that I broaden my own interests in this bountiful and rich EARTH. Jen Hilburn is an inspiration! How fortunate is St. Catherines to employ this woman who breathes life into every action she takes! She infuses her love into everyone who willingly steps into her intellectual path! No one is left unimpacted by this very force of nature and intelligence. Jen Hilburn wants “buy in” to saving this earth. She is all SCIENTIST in her investigations. She is all ARTIST in embrace of others and extension of knowledge. Halleljuah! Thank you Rachel Harris for being so knowledgeable, patient, and kind when answering my questions.

ABOUT MY PAINTINGS IN THIS BLOG: Many of you might already know that I call myself a visionary painter because I rely on an inner feeling or "eye" to guide me as I do my work. As a SPIRITUAL ART PILGRIM, I have been journeying in new directions artistically. Because I adore NATURE and have the good fortune to travel with my brilliant paleontologist husband on his forays to study modern and ancient ichnology (traces), I have welcomed the richness of NATURE  pervading my SPIRIT. I absorb, think, feel, wait, contemplate, and yes--draw without judgment. The drawings you see on this blog resulted as a process of daily meditation. The "new" aspect of this work was for me to use a specific outside stimulus like a photograph to translate inward. If I had a goal or ambition in these works, it was to express my relationship to the American oystercatcher. You see, I BELIEVE that the process of making ART connects us to the world and through that process we begin to "OWN" our role in taking care of MOTHER EARTH. We "buy in" as Jen Hilburn might say. HALLELUJAH FELLOW PILGRIM!

SOUL BLOG with Hallelujah about your response to the all-American bird, the American Oyster Catcher! Take a moment to investigate the SCIENTIST and ARTIST in you. What do you know? What do you love? What action can you take today to sustain this awesome EARTH that we inhabit?

PRAYER FOR THE AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER: Hope springs eternal and it is necessary to keep a positive attitude when scientific facts predict that the American oystercatcher will die out as a species and the ornithologists are measuring how long it will take even though they have made efforts to preserve this beautiful American bird. 

SEA TURTLES NEED US: Relocating Nests on St. Catherines Island, Georgia

THE UNIVERSE IN MINIATURE: SEA TURTLE EGGS

SEA TURTLE HATCHLING (art by Hallelujah)

Hallelujah for SEA TURTLES and SEA TURTLE EGGS! Aren’t they mysteriously fascinating creatures? Hallelujah for SCIENTISTS like Gale Bishop, who are passionately dedicated to assisting SEA TURTLES survival by monitoring their nests on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, four-and-a-half months every year. 113 precious sea turtle eggs were laid in the 159th nest on Friday night, July 30, 2011, when I was there with my Chiboogamoo. And I got to help protect them!

Gale Bishop

While my Chiboogamoo was researching alligator dens on the island’s inland ponds, I accompanied Gale and a visiting team of paleontologists from Montana State University (MSU) to the coastal dunes to relocate the eggs from this 159th nest. The focus of the MSU scientists was to study modern sea-turtle nest structures in order to increase their understanding of fossil ones. On this sizzling hot day with temperatures soaring into triple digits Fahrenheit, we were glad to guided by an expert. Gale has been monitoring sea-turtle nesting for 21 years through the St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Conservation Program.

Dan Lawver

Once we were at the site of nest 159, Gale guided Dan Lawver, an MSU paleontology graduate student, to carefully remove its surface sand. This nest had been discovered and marked earlier in the morning at sunrise when Gale and his intern patrolled the beach looking for the iconic trackways made by a mother sea turtle. To lay eggs, she must leave the safety and fluidity of her ocean home to pull herself forward with her flippers on this foreign land of her birthplace. Her movements recorded in the sand look cumbersome, persistent, and rhythmic. Dan worked slowly with the shovel edge, eventually revealing the damp oval outline of the place where the mother turtle had deposited her eggs, then compacted the sand on top of them. Tentatively, with his fingers, Dan loosened and removed handfuls of the sand until he uncovered the bevy of more than 100 eggs.

AN EASILY RECOGNIZED PATTERN: Sea turtles leave a distinctive trackway.  This particular sea turtle did not succeed in making a nest. Imagine her pulling herself along the beach, using her flippers, only to turn around and leave mission unaccomplished. (photo by Gale Bishop)

Successful Sea Turtle Trackway: The mother sea turtle who journeyed from the ocean to the dune succeeded in making a nest. (photo by Gale Bishop)

These eggs must be moved for two primary reasons. First of all, mother sea turtles are laying eggs too close to the shoreline, and the forces of the ocean will erode the nest away. Then there are the predators. In addition to moving nests to higher ground away from the surf, protective screening is placed over the nests to protect them from persistent predators such as raccoons, ghost crabs, and feral hogs.

Predator Raccoon: This opportunivore was captured at the site of a sea turtle nest. (photo by Gale Bishop)

Predator Ghost Crab: Eating is essential for every living thing. Ghost crabs prey upon sea turtle nests. (photo by Chiboogamoo)

Predator Hogs: Hogs do not belong on the Georgia barrier islands. They destroy habitats and love to eat turtle eggs. Reproducing at such rapid rates, hog populations on the islands are impossible to control. (Photo by Gale Bishop)

Urged on by Gale to participate in this magnificent conservation effort—even though I was slightly nervous about damaging the eggs—I began scooping them out of the nest by twos and putting them in a large, red three-gallon bucket. Each time I touched an egg, I worried that my fingers would puncture it. Instead, the egg yielded to my touch, allowing me to ease it out of its earthy sandy womb. How did the yolk of the unborn turtle stay intact? Each egg seemed a tiny miracle of Mother Nature!

WOW!: Hallelujah holding a sea turtle egg! (photo by Gale Bishop)

ELEMENTAL LIFE:  Sea Turtle Eggs Re-nested. (photo by Chiboogamoo, photoshopped by Hallelujah)

Once reburied in a much safer location in the dunes, these white durable leathery eggs, a little larger and softer than ping-pong balls, will hatch in approximately 54 days. The hatchlings will erupt from this human-made “protected” nest with a clear and direct sense of how to reach the sea. Each newly minted sea turtle will leave a small undulating trackway perpendicular to the beach, something that won’t be repeated again until its reproductive maturity twenty years later. And that will only happen if the 3-inch-long female hatchlings escape all the hazards of being a small animal in a very large and competitive ecosystem. Is it really possible that out of every ONE THOUSAND sea turtle hatchlings, just ONE survives to reproductive age?

SEA TURTLE LIFE! (photo by Gale Bishop)

Of the 113 eggs from nest 159, one egg was collected for DNA testing. Gale calls this a necessary “sacrifice” so that the mother turtle can be identified. For example, on one short stretch of the beach, the DNA testing revealed that the same mother sea turtle had nested six times. Do the math! One mother, six nests, each nest comprising approximately 113 eggs—that’s 678 hatchlings from just one turtle ambling towards the sea! Perhaps one of them might make it to maturity! But then again, what percentage of the nested eggs will actually hatch? That’s another story, for another time.

Has the sea turtle always faced such great odds at survival? Who knows! When we consider deep time—sea turtles have been in existence since the Early Cretaceous, for more than 100 million years. If they have survived this long, won’t they continue? Simply answered, NO! Today, their nesting habitats are severely threatened by human development, invasive species, and the changing environment, such as global warming. Because of these conditions, all species of sea turtles are on the endangered list. Sea turtles need our assistance if they are to continue being on this glorious and wonderful planet.

HATCHLING CRAWLWAY: The babies knew which direction to go. Did they feel the call of the sea? See their trackways? (photo by Gale Bishop)

Over the 21 years that Gale has been monitoring the sea-turtle nests on St. Catherines Island from mid-May to the end of September, he has come across and relocated 2,355 nests and thus assisted approximately 142,672 sea turtles at the beginning of their life cycles. He has helped train 256 teachers in St. Catherines Island Sea Turtle Conservation Program, therefore impacting the sea turtle conservation knowledge of 270,227 students.

Hallelujah for EDUCATORS and SCIENTISTS like Gale, and the SEA TURTLES they serve. Hallelujah for STUDENTS who are our FUTURE SEA TURTLE CONSERVATIONISTS. Food for thought—if it takes ONE    THOUSAND or more hatchling sea turtles for ONE to become a mother, how many students educated in sea turtle conservation does it take to produce a sea turtle protector?

That’s COFFEE WITH HALLELUJAH! Write me and tell me why so many of us just absolutely love sea turtles and feel connected to them! SOUL BLOG with me and explain to me the mysteries that entwine us with these magnificent creatures of the sea!

SUNRISE AT ST. CATHERINES ISLAND: Sunday morning on July 31,  Chiboogamoo and I went out with Gale on his morning patrol to check for newly made nests or hatchling crawlways to the sea.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Hallelujah sings praises of Gale Bishop, professor, paleontologist, ichnologist, educator, and turtle conservationist extraordinaire. He is generous and gentle in his science instruction. He really loves people as much as he loves sea turtles and his black cat, Abbie. And, he can bake the best dinner rolls ever! Thanks to the Montana State University crew, who let me tag along. And, as always, thanks to my Chiboogamoo, who takes to me the Georgia Coast. 

HALLELUJAH FOR BABY SEA TURTLES! (photo by Chiboogamoo)