Beach art today, Beach Walk coming up

Senator Bill Nelson tweeted yesterday about the high temps in other regions of the U.S., and said he'd never have expected to hear people talking about coming to Florida in the summer to cool off. And yet...as the temperatures in places like Philly and South Dakota touch triple digits, it was in the 90s at the beaches of St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra today, moderated by a strong breeze from the southeast. Plenty of people were out, and some of them were touched by the muse, as you can see in the photos. And the sea turtles would seem to be undisturbed by the heat, as we noted "N96" - the 96th nest in the northern section of the Reserve.

Anecdotal forecasts expect local sea turtle nesting to fall somewhere between levels set last year and the year before, and we're all paying close attention: volunteers and vistors, biologists and interested observers. Walking the beaches and noting the comings and goings of sea turtles - without actually *seeing* sea turtles - is one of the delights shared by beachcombers everywhere. Locally, we have the opportunity to learn (and maybe DO) more.

GTM offers Beach Walks to everyone. Come on out, learn more about your local natural resources and be part of the loose but dedicated community working to protect those resources.
GUANA BEACH WALK--Discover the importance of the beach habitats. The GTM Research Reserve will host a beach walk from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 30th at the Guana South Beach lot location. Join GTM Research Reserve Volunteers Rick and Roz Edwards for this “Beaches 101” experience; an informative and fun walk and learn about the sand, the importance of the dunes, and the animals that call the beach their home. Reservations are required. Please call (904) 823-4500 to reserve your spot. Meet at the Guana South Beach parking lot approximately two miles north of the Environmental Education Center which is located at 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach. Be sure to dress for the weather and bring water. Regular parking fees apply, $3.00 per vehicle, annual GTM pass holders FREE.


Learning more is good for all of us. A close look at this photo shows the unmistakable path of a sea turtle, bound by geographic fidelity to lay her eggs close to place of her own birth. If the whole beach were visible, you would also see that she came up, went down, and did not nest. The moon? The tide? Too much light? Who knows?