City of Melbourne to Host Virtual Field Trip ‘Helping Sea Turtles Survive’ Set for Sept. 23
By Space Coast Daily // September 16, 2021
Register online for this free event
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Do you know all of the sea turtle species that visit our beaches? How old can a sea turtle get? Why is Brevard County an important place for sea turtles?
To find out, join the Marine Resources Council and the City of Melbourne ECO Division on September 23, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. for our first virtual field trip of the fall season!
Our special guests, Susan Skipper and Dan Schaller with the Sea Turtle Preservation Society will be out in the field to teach us about these amazing creatures.
Brevard County beaches host nesting sea turtles each summer and is some of the most important nesting habitats in the world for loggerhead and green sea turtles.
These living dinosaurs have been around for more than 100 million years, but now face a growing threat from humans. The Sea Turtle Preservation Society (STPS) works to protect sea turtles and their habitats, and each one of us can also do our part to help sea turtles survive.
Come check out the sea turtle rescue vehicle, take a virtual trip to the beach, and learn about the history, importance, and stories behind these ancient reptiles found right along our coast!
This 45-minute long virtual field trip is geared toward youth, but open to all ages. Participants will have the chance to ask questions through the Q&A box that will be answered toward the end of the presentation.
This event is free but you must register. Participants are encouraged to email questions to MRC’s Director of Education, Nicole Broquet, at nicole@mrcirl.org by September 22. Register online to receive a Zoom link and log-in information.
The field trip presentation will also be live streaming and available to watch through the MRC Facebook page, as well as the Sea Turtle Preservation Society Facebook page.
How to Participate:
Register online for this free event, to receive a Zoom link and log-in information.
The field trip presentation will also be live streaming on the MRC Facebook page and STPS Facebook page.
Participants are encouraged to email questions to Nicole Broquet at nicole@mrcirl.org by September 22.
About Our Presenters:
Dan Schaller, STPS Director of Stranding and Salvage Activities
Dan Schaller is a 30-year active duty Marine Corps retiree who moved with his wife to the area in 2017 to help sea turtles survive and enjoy retirement life in Florida.
He manages the STPS sea turtle rescue team of up to two dozen volunteers.
The Sea Turtle Preservation Society conducts over 90% of the sea turtle stranding and salvage operations in and throughout Brevard County, under marine turtle permit authority from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Dan also participates as a permit-listed volunteer with sea turtle nest surveys and evaluations, and as a board member for STPS.
Susan Skinner, Communications and Marketing Director and serves as the Chairperson for the Sea Turtle Preservation Society
Susan Skinner is the STPS communications and marketing director and serves as the chairperson for the STPS Board of Directors.
She has been part of the organization for the past four years and volunteers with the nest survey, night walk, transport, communications, and education programs.
After more than 30 years of working in journalism and communications, Susan now focuses on her passion for the environment and Florida’s ecosystems through STPS and the Florida Master Naturalist Program.
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