by Jackie Orsulak
Eight years ago, Millie Overman, Pam Fearn and Robbie Fearn were aware that there was no protection for the endangered sea turtles that frequented the beaches and waters off the coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina north of Oregon Inlet. Turtle nests that were found in this area were transported to the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Center. As Volunteer Coordinator for the North Carolian Aquarium on Roanoke Island, Robbie arranged to attend workshops through the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission.
After training they received a permit for their non-profit organization NEST (the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles). With this permit, trained volunteers are licensed to relocate turtle nests, save nests, transport turtles and nests and work in the rehabilitation of injured or sick turtles. They began monitoring their first nests in 1995.
In the fall of 1995, they received a call reporting a dead loggerhead on the beaches of Corolla. When they got there they found it alive and tried to resuscitate it. They placed the sick turtle in a pick-up truck and drove to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The aquarium said they had no facilities for the turtle and suggested they take it back to the beach. They then called the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission. The federation contacted Ray Davis, the head of rehabilitation at Sea World in Orlando, Florida.
The NEST volunteers drove in a van to Sea World and left Caroline the turtle for rehabilitation. She was found to have a fishhook in her esophagus and was treated for infection and pneumonia. She wintered in Orlando. In April she was deemed healthy. Sea World transported her back to Ocracoke where she was successfully released.
When Millie Overman left the room at a Christmas party for the 10 members of NEST that year, she was elected Coordinator of NEST. She has been at the helm of the organization ever since. After their experience with Caroline, the NEST volunteers realized the need for medical facilities for the stranded turtles that washed ashore on their beaches. Members felt that locating a rehabilitation facility at the Aquarium was logical. Rhett White, the head of rehabilitation at the Aquarium, agreed to allow NEST to construct a turtle rehabilitation center behind the Aquarium on Roanoke Island.
The center was built with generous donations to NEST and a $5000 grant awarded to NEST from the Outer Banks Community Foundation. The local contractor, John Miller, was recovering from back surgery, and the construction of the turtle rehabilitation center became his rehabilitation. He generously agreed to volunteer his time, expertise and supplies to make the rehab center a reality. With his effort and that of many volunteers, the center was completed two years after NEST was formed. The building houses five 500-gallon holding tanks and two 200-gallon tanks.
The center is most active in the wintertime. When injured, ill or cold-stunned turtles are reported on the beach, a NEST volunteer is dispatched to the scene. The turtle is transported to the veterinarian, Dr. Mary Burkart. After treating the turtle it is sent to the holding tanks for rehabilitation. When the turtle is healed and the ocean water temperature has risen, the turtles are released to the ocean to continue their incredible journey.
Presently there are 93 volunteer members of NEST working around the clock to preserve the sea turtles that are such an integral and intriguing part of the magical world of the Outer Banks.
About the author:Jackie Orsulak is a volunteer for NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles).
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