Nature is pretty amazing. We keep hitting it with our best destructive shot trying to destroy the planet, and Mother Nature might be on the ropes, but she comes back out on top every time. We are overdue for some good news from the Gulf, and there actually is some. Since the BP oil disaster, wildlife officials have just declared the waters of the Gulf of Mexico safe for young sea turtles. The young hatchlings reside on the surface of the water, and since surface oil abatement has been most effective (not so much the dispersed and suspended oil, but surface cleanup is going pretty well), that level can again support life. Additionally, thousands of turtle eggs that were rescued from the spill zone beaches and relocated to Cape Canaveral are now hatching in strong numbers. Most of those hatchlings are being released in the Atlantic Ocean waters instead of the Gulf to maximize their chances of survival.
Barbara Schroeder, the national sea turtle coordinator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, helped plan the desperate rescue. This was an unprecedented effort designed to keep thousands of newly hatched turtles from swimming straight into the gulf’s toxic oil. Biologist, sea turtle specialist, and turtle “midwife” (as described in the St. Petersburg Times) Jane Provancha, said, “It’s not exactly cutting-edge science. It’s mostly just a dramatic conservation action. It’s probably the best action under the worst circumstances.”
Here is the link to CharityGuide and their volunteer opportunities for sea turtle rescue and conservation.
Here are the international volunteer and job listings from SeaTurtle.org
Change by Doing 