A holiday weekend is coming up and we’re looking for harmony and understanding.
The Independence Day celebration will begin Friday, July 4, and continue through the weekend with enough of a beach crowd expected that the city of Bradenton Beach declared a local state of emergency to be ready.
First-responders’ focus will be on handling traffic and parking and the conflict that can come with lots of people coming together on very hot days, but there’s also concern for protecting wild AMI, particularly ensuring the safety of sea turtles nesting at night and birds flocking to the shore during the day.
Thoughtful beachgoers can coexist with sea turtles and shorebirds.
They can start by giving sea turtle nesting areas a wide berth. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers have staked nests and beachgoers should avoid setting up tents, blankets and other gear on or around the nests.
Beachgoers also can be sure to pack up whatever they’ve hauled to the beach when leaving the shore. Leftover snacks or trash can attract raccoons and other animals that might raid turtle nests and bird colonies while beach furniture and other gear can interfere with nesting.
Beachgoers can remember that dark beaches are the best beaches for nesting sea turtles, which can become disoriented by artificial light. Sea turtles use moonlight reflecting off the Gulf to find their way but artificial lighting can cause them to crawl away from the water.
“Even the most conscientious person can inadvertently spook a turtle that is coming onto the beach to nest,” said AMITW executive director Kristen Mazzarella. “If you are on the beach at night, please, remember not to use lights on the beach — this includes cellphones and flash photography — and if you use a red light, point it directly at the ground.”
And, lastly, beachgoers can understand that fireworks will send birds into panic flights, expending crucial energy reserves.
Nesting numbers
As of June 20, AMITW reported 272 nests, 512 false crawls and 18 disorientations.
It’s elementary: Class lessons from AMITW, AME
Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, during the 2024-25 academic year, invited teachers and students at Anna Maria Elementary School in Holmes Beach to compose questions about sea turtles, shorebirds and AMITW’s work on the beaches. This summer, the Islander is sharing AME’s questions and AMITW’s answers.
Nicole O’Neill’s fourth-grade class: How many different species are there of sea turtles?
AMITW: There are seven species of sea turtles in the world: loggerheads, green turtles, leatherbacks, hawksbills, kemp’s ridleys, olive ridleys and flatbacks.
On Anna Maria Island we mostly have loggerheads nesting on our beaches and sometimes a couple of green turtle nests.
Talking turtles
The city of Holmes Beach is hosting Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring for weekly talks about sea turtle and shorebird nesting.
Sea Turtle Tracks and Shorebird Facts talks continue most Mondays at 10 a.m. through August at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive.
For more information, call turtle watch at 941-301-8434 or go to www.islandturtlewatch.com.