Gary McGraw says,

Dear Dewees Island Turtle Volunteers

This is an update for Week One. First, a big THANK YOU for being a volunteer. As of today we have 24 people who have signed the DNR volunteer agreement. When you want to walk, please call Judy Fairchild at cell 843-259-1713 or home 886-6062 to have her put you on our official schedule.

We’ve had our first nest. Toone & her friend Dottie found it on May 17th which is early for us. Our friends on IOP/Sullivan’s Island are jealous because we “won” our informal contest by having a nest before they did. We also had two false crawls: one south in front of Brucie’s where the mama bumped her nose on a three foot scarp embankment on the 17th; and one just north of the attached shoal on the 18th which was washed away the next day by high storm tides [did she know ?].

Mary Pringle reported today they now have had two nests both on May 22nd. We also receive information about nests in NC, SC and GA because we are participating in a beta test of a new nesting data base project. As of today the reports are 2, 59 and 21 nests in NC, SC and GA, respectively.

We have begun TURTLE TUESDAYS so drop in and tell your friends. Anyone available will gather at 9:30 AM in the Huyler House each Tuesday of the nesting season for a cup of coffee and informal chats about the latest.

Cheers, Gary on behalf of the Dewees Turtle Team