LLL: Loggerhead Sea Turtles

Coming Monday, June 21 at 7 p.m. via YouTube livestream

Here is the link: https://youtu.be/P9tCxVyOci8

All About Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Presented by Mike Walker, Interpretive Ranger, Huntington Beach State Park

Come explore the fascinating life cycle of South Carolina's state reptile, the loggerhead sea turtle! Learn why they dig the dark, what they eat, and why they are a threatened species. We will also look into the lives of other species of sea turtles which use our local waters, including leatherbacks, Kemp's ridleys, and greens. Everyone will leave with helpful tips on how we can all make certain these amazing animals are around for generations to come.

About our Speaker: After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science, Mike went on to work a number of interesting jobs. From sea turtle nest protection on Pritchard's Island and a year at the Aquarium Reptile Complex at Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia to jobs at both Myrtle Beach and Hunting Island State Parks, Mike gathered a wealth of experience working with animals and natural environments. While at Hunting Island, he even got a little acting experience playing the role of Ranger Mike on the Nickelodeon TV series called "Gullah Gullah Island."
Now at Huntington Beach, Mike manages the Education Center staff and a number of volunteers from the Friends of Huntington Beach State Park. He and his group design and maintain interpretive signage while also conducting a variety of Coastal Exploration and standards-based Discovery Carolina programs on topics like seine netting, birding, crabbing, kayaking, snakes, seashells, marine invertebrates, sea turtles, salt marsh ecosystems, fiddler crab populations and the Great Depression. In addition, Mike is also responsible for resource management projects such as monitoring the park for invasive species, assisting with oyster and wetland restoration, protecting loggerhead sea turtles with predator exclosures and shielding shorebird nests with a solar powered electric fence.