Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins May 1

St Johns County Commissioner for District 3, Paul Waldron, reminds Historic City News readers that sea turtle nesting season is only a month away. Residents and visitors have a special opportunity and responsibility to protect these magnificent creatures and their vulnerable nesting sites as they return each season to nest along the beaches.

St. Johns County officials are reminding residents, visitors, and businesses to help protect natural habitat by observing the following actions beginning May 1st while enjoying the beach:

• Refrain from using artificial light such as white lights from flashlights, camera flashes, and cell phones. St. Johns County provides free red filters to place over flashlights at every beach access point within the City of St. Augustine Beach.
• Beachfront property owners and visitors are asked to turn off all exterior lights and cover windows to reduce interior light impacts at night.
• Fill in holes in the sand as they are hazardous to nesting females and hatchlings, which may become trapped while traversing the sand.
• Remove all chairs, umbrellas, tents, toys, coolers, and other beach equipment to prevent disrupting the paths of nesting females and hatchlings.

Beach visitors are asked to never push an injured animal back into the ocean. If an injured, sick, or deceased sea turtle is encountered, please call the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency dispatch line at 904.824.8304.

St. Johns County is grateful to its volunteers, residents, visitors, and businesses for supporting habitat conservation efforts and keeping our beaches beautiful.

For more information, please contact St. Johns County Habitat Conservation and Beach Management at 904.209.3740 or visit www.sjcfl.us/hcp