Travels With Scute

Take a look at my AmeriCorps Education Member project, Travels With Scute! For the last few months, I have been sending Scute, the ambassador of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, to my friends and family all over the world. From the University of Georgia to Uganda, this little Loggerhead has been on the move learning and teaching about turtles of all types.


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"The breeze, the trees, the honey bees - All volunteers!" ~Juliet Carinreap

I have thoroughly been amazed at the dedication, commitment, enthusiasm, and impact of the numerous volunteers at The Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Their hard work always put a pep in my step and inspires me to do more than my best.

The GSTC AmeriCorps crew recently volunteered at Map International stocking oral rehydration salt packets for overseas medical kits in celebration of AmeriCorps Service Week. We all had a great time together serving in a way that is "off the beaten path" of our daily routines.

We hosted the children of The Boys and Girls Club of Glynn County while several Jekyll Island Authority employees volunteered their afternoon repainting their facility. The children had a great time visiting the sea turtle patients, learning about nesting females, and eating yummy "sea turtle nests."

So if you find yourself this summer with nothing particular to do I encourage you to get up and go get involved! You can truly make a difference. And you can have fun while doing so :-]

GSTC Traditions

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center took over Captain Stan's Smokehouse in Woodbine last night. A great time of eating bbq, singing, dancing, laughing, hula hooping, and historical handmarking was had by all. I love the family I have here.

AmeriCorps Great Story

Enjoy the article I submitted for our AmeriCorps Great Story portfolio:

Home, Sweet Home

In Greek Mythology, the sprouting spring flowers signaled to Demeter that her daughter Persephone would soon arrive from the underworld and they would once again be reunited. Spring at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center has long been expected as well.

The new season not only brought to us blossoming Dogwoods, Orange Trees, and Azaleas here on Jekyll Island but also twelve new AmeriCorps Members. To welcome them aboard, a “Taste of Home” potluck dinner was held in their honor. Everyone was encouraged to bring food unique to his or her hometown. We had quite a smorgasbord! Just to name a few of the tasty treats: A Member from Nebraska baked cornbread, a Member from Atlanta, Georgia provided Coca-Cola, a Member from Burlington, Vermont brought Vermont Cheddar Cheese with crackers, and a Member from Plant City, Florida made strawberry shortcake.

Currently serving at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center are eighteen AmeriCorps Members hailing from fourteen different states! We all may have different hometowns but we all have planet Earth in common. In conjunction with the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day the Georgia Sea Turtle Center conducted its third annual “Shell-e-brate” Earth Day event. All Members had a blast lending a hand face painting, assisting children with making recycled paper, serving edible “dirt” cups, coloring paper bag turtle shells, and teaching how to reduce, reuse, and recycle! The finale to the “Shell-e-brate” Earth Day festivities was releasing two rehabilitated Kemp’s Ridleys sea turtles, Tinkerbell and Kinevil, back to their ocean home.

As April ends and May begins, all are anticipating the arrival of nesting female sea turtles to Jekyll Island. Female sea turtles will return anywhere from five to thirty miles of original beach where they were once hatched in order to dig a nest for their own hatchlings.

There truly is “no place like home,” even for sea turtles!

I made a paper plate diamondback terrapin with one of my childhood heroines today :-]

When she walked into the rehab pavilion with her two sons I automatically felt like I knew her from somewhere. We began conversing about the patients, why they were at the GSTC and how they were doing. Turtle Tales, a program in which we read a story about turtles and then make a turtle craft, was about to start in fifteen minutes and I invited them to join. While gathering a few last minute materials, I quickly Googled her to confirm my hunch. Ah! It was her! "Stay cool, Melissa, stay cool" I quietly repeated to myself.

After reading A Day in the Salt Marsh by Kevin Kurtz, the four of us began making our paper plate diamondback terrapins. Her son mentioned that he loved the University of Georgia to which a hearty "Go Dawgs" and high five was given. He thought it was super cool that I had gone there for college and marched with the Red Coat Marching Band. His mom quickly chimed in for the Crimson Tide, explaining that she had to stick to her Alabama roots and gently reminding us both who currently held the National Champion title.

Curiosity was overtaking me and I just had to know for certain...

Nervously I asked, "Would your name happen to be Heather?"

"Why yes, it is" she graciously replied.

"Would your maiden name happen to be Whitestone?"

With a big smile she confirmed, "Yes, My name is Heather Whitestone McCallum"

"It is such an honor to meet you! I remember when you winning Miss America 1995 when I was just a little girl. It was so inspiring and encouraging."

"Why thank you! It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Melissa!"

Ah! I just could not believe myself. I remember as a young ballerina, just starting to fall in love with Jesus, how her talent portion of the pageant, a ballet routine to Sandi Patty's "Via Dolorosa," clearly and beautifully painted a picture of the Gospel. Watching it still gives me chills.

Learn more about this wonderful woman at www.heatherwhitestone.com. I am looking forward to reading her books Let God Surprise You: Trust God with Your Dreams and Believing the Promise: Daily Devotions for Following Your Dreams.

Meeting her, along with her sons, was truly a dream of mine come true :-]