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Tag: Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday

Sea turtle season ends with successful fundraiser

Sea turtle season ends with successful fundraiser

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sea turtle season officially ends on Oct. 31. Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring volunteers are monitoring the one remaining nest left on the Island and checking it daily to see if it hatches.

In the last week, Turtle Watch volunteers hosted a booth at Bayfest on Oct. 18 and held their annual fundraiser, the Sixth Annual Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday, on Oct. 22.

Sea turtle season ends with successful fundraiser
Excited raffle winner Cory Jackson at the live auction benefiting the Sixth Annual Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraiser.- Anne Yarbrough | Sun

“Much fun was had as Turtle Watch and Journey, our mascot, hosted our educational and mer­chandise booth at Bayfest, teaching attendees about sea turtles and showing off the sea turtle carapace (shell), sea turtle skulls and a view of what a nest looks like underground,” Turtle Watch Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in an Oct. 24 email to The Sun.

Sea turtle season ends with successful fundraiser
Karen Anderson and Police Chief Bill Tokajer share a moment at the Sixth Annual Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday fundraiser. – Anne Yarbrough | Sun

Turtle Watch teamed up with Anna Maria Life, which debuted its Anna Maria Life Through the Lens of Angie Blunt 2026 calendars, complete with a raffle for an original Angie Blunt photograph. All proceeds from the calendars go directly to Turtle Watch.

Sea turtle season ends with successful fundraiser
Local photographer Angie Blunt signs copies of her photo calendar. – Anne Yarbrough | Sun

The fundraising event raised more than $30,000 for Turtle Watch.

“More than 70 VIPs attended the party inside Hurricane Hanks and over 250 people attended the event,” Mazzarella wrote. “High­lights were the live auctions for a ride-along with Holmes Beach Chief Tokajer and a ride-along Turtle Watch Experience.”

Mazzarella thanked sponsors A Paradise Realty, Hurricane Hanks/The Pour House/Hurricane Liquors, Slicker’s Eatery, CabanUp, Harbor Lane Court Vacation Rentals, The Anna Maria Island Sun and Mike Sales Music, as well as all the silent and live auction donors.

Donations are still being accepted at: https://square.link/u/gOEvLCL6.

Sea turtle nesting season comes to an end

Sea turtle nesting season comes to an end

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Outdoors, Sea turtles.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Sea turtle nesting season comes to an early close due to the remaining nests being washed out by Hurricane Helene.

“We had eight nests left prior to Hurricane Helene and it’s likely that all eight washed out in the storm,” Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring Executive Director Kristen Mazzarella wrote in an email. “I was able to conduct a survey on the beach on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from Bean Point down to the Beach House restaurant; however was unable to traverse the beach any further. Six of the eight remaining nests were south of the Beach House, so I can only presume that they washed out due to the extent of the damage on that part of the Island.”

She issued the following nesting numbers for the 2024 nesting season:

4/15/2024 – 9/24/2024
Total nests: 685
Total false crawls: 835
Hatched nests: 303
Hatchlings produced: 20,557
Adult disorientations: 36
Hatchling disorientations: 54
Nests remaining on the beach: 0

“We will be spending the next few months reviewing the data for accuracy so that we can report our final numbers to FWC and Manatee County,” she wrote. “We are grateful to our volunteers and community members who helped us prepare for the storm such that our equipment and UTVs were safe during the storm. We are now focusing on helping our volunteers, assisting in beach cleanups, and doing what we can for the community of AMI.”

Turtle Watch’s major fundraiser, Suzi Fox Turtle Watch Wednesday scheduled for Oct. 23 at Hurricane Hank’s, has been postponed and a new date will be announced.

“Our hearts go out to our sponsors and volunteers that have sustained damage from the storm,” Mazzarella said. “We will let you know more when the Island is further along with cleanup efforts and rebuilding.”