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!
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