Camping out
We’ve all done it at one time or another: maybe you’re a member of an "outdoorsy" family, or you sported a scout uniform for years, or maybe you did it just because the night was warm with lots of stars. But it’s not something that your average sea turtle in rehab is supposed to do.

This has been one crazy summer at the hospital. The ailing turtles never quit coming. The volunteers sweated through long mornings of tending to sick turtles and even longer afternoons of tending to our adoring public. Now we’ve shut our doors to take a final look at who’s healthy enough to go home, and who’s going to be spending the winter with us. And therein lies our very large problem.

We’ve managed to keep accepting patients because NC enjoys extended summer-like weather (usually) and because we have a little bit of space behind our building where we can house the less critically ill turtles. We laughingly refer to that area as "Tent City" but in all honesty it’s not funny at all. There are turtles out there that will have to come inside before too long, and if this spate of nighttime temps in the 60’s becomes a trend we’re going to have to move these critters fast. But even David Copperfield couldn’t squeeze big turtles in even bigger tanks into our measly 850 square feet. And it’s not even cold-stun season yet.

Photo: Tent City South

Before the economy tanked we would have bet that we’d be moving all of our patients into our new facility right about now. Instead we’re still waiting for our last permit to come through so we can clear the site. And there’s still a big gap in our building fund; about a $300,000 gap. Help!! The next time you’re writing out checks please think of our turtles. They depend solely on your generous donations for a second chance at life. Visit our website: www.seaturtlehospital.org for ways you can donate.

Loggerheads are busting out all over
The hatching continues, and if you’re extremely lucky you just might stumble onto one some night and find yourself sitting with our Topsail Turtle Project (TTP) volunteers when those tiny heads pip up. Remember that during a hatch our TTP crew is in charge. If they say, "sit" you must sit and be quiet. No flashlights, flash photography, loud noises or running around in the area of the nest. Don’t bring your dogs to the site, even on a leash. Never try to pick up a hatchling unless specifically asked to do so by our volunteers. They know how to make sure each hatchling heads in the right direction. If you do see a hatch, count your blessings; you are among the very few, very fortunate people in the entire world who have been witness to this miracle of nature.

All sea turtles are federally protected animals. Harassing or interfering with them or their nests in any way is punishable by a hefty fine and/or imprisonment. Please report any incidents of hatching, injury, stranding or harassment to our Director of Beach Operations, Terry Meyer at 910-470-2880 immediately.

Hospital closed to the public
Our last day of open house was Saturday, September 5th.  We’re planning a limited opening during Autumn with Topsail, the weekend of October 17-18. If you miss that, see you in June 2010.

Lobster Dinner and Auction
Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24th.  Artists, craftspeople and business owners have been very generous with their donations over the years, but we know that there are a lot of people new to our coast who would love to use this opportunity to introduce us to their work. If you haven’t been part of our auction in the past please consider donating an item or service for this year’s event. We’ll give you more details in the next few weeks, but if you have an immediate question you can e-mail me (flippers@embarqmail.com) or Jean (loggrhead@aol.com) for information.