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| Nicole watched the beginning of the sunrise |
7:00 AM: Most of the other souls rolled out of bed to eat a delicious breakfast of cereal and oatmeal.
7:30 AM: Katie demonstrated how not to scream "TURTLES" at the hospital so that we wouldn't disturb the turtles once we arrived.
8:00 AM: WE FINALLY SAW OUR FIRST SEA TURTLES (and we practiced excited internal screaming).
8:00-11:00 AM: Zabrina, Monica, Jess, Donald, and Juhye got to help out in Sick Bay, bathing and treating turtles for various conditions. The rest of our group experienced Turtle Bay, where we fed turtles, cleaned tanks, washed dishes, and mopped the floors. We also got to see treatments of Pumba and Snookie, the largest Loggerhead the hospital has ever had (more than 300 pounds)!
11:00-12:00 PM: The ever-inspirational Jean gave us a great introduction to the hospital. Not only did she talk about the many wonderful volunteers, but she also told the story of how they moved from facility to facility until they ended up in their beautiful, newest building. All of the donations from visitors throughout the years helped them get to where they are today. :)
Additionally, we all met Mama Kitty, who loved to visit with us, especially those who were allergic to cats.
12:00-1:00 PM: We returned to the house for lunch (and a quick, much needed nap).
1:30-3:30 PM: A long-time volunteer, Judy, gave us a further orientation to the hospital, including the origin of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center. The center was named after Jean's daughter, Karen, who died of leukemia at a young age. Karen's passion for sea turtles and conservation efforts inspired Jean to start the original hospital. Such a touching story <3
We were also introduced to the education stations focusing on sea turtle anatomy, species, and nesting as well as environmental conservation, which we will be presenting to the local students on Thursday!
Right as we were getting ready to leave, a load of fish, squid, and a variety of other small sea creatures was delivered to the hospital, so we helped store them in the freezer and cut up the mesh bags to avoid harm to other wild creatures.
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| Fun with fish (+ other ocean critters) |
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| Nicole, Rhea, and Elizabeth went for a run and spotted a dolphin!! |
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| Katie attempted to study for her physiology exam while actually staring at the beautiful view. |
6:00-7:00 PM: We ate an amazing Mediterranean meal cooked by Jess and Donald.
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| Photo credit to Jess |
8:00-10:00 PM: Everyone sat down for a reflection, where we reviewed our day, compared our life experiences, and discussed our impact on the environment and our roles, as well as the government's role, in protecting the environment. After journaling, we all dispersed, relaxed, and got ready for bed.
Overall, it was a wonderful first day at the hospital, and everyone is excited to go back to the hospital tomorrow and travel to UNCW for the sea turtle necropsy!
Signing off... See you all tomorrow :)
-Katie & Nicole
Guess the participant:
"It's snarling at me!!!"
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