Task force reports sea‑turtle nesting disruptions; members plan light‑testing cards and outreach

A task force member reported on the sea‑turtle season and urged stronger local outreach on lighting after multiple nest disorientations and inundations.

Jennifer Rusk, a task force member who monitors sea turtles, said the committee is monitoring 12 active nests. She reported that 80 nests have hatched this season, 30 experienced disorientation tied to lighting, four nests washed away and 17 nests were inundated by tides and rain and drowned.

Rusk said many light problems come from properties not on the beachfront (across the street or further inland) and urged that all visible lights be shielded, downward‑directed and, where visible from the beach, use amber LED of a wavelength that reduces turtle disorientation. “If visible from the beach, amber LED greater than 560,” she said.

Education tools: Committee members discussed distribution of a small light‑filter card that lets residents view a light through a film to see whether the wavelength is turtle‑friendly. A member said she has begun producing cards and can provide them before next season. The task force also plans community outreach at events, including the Sandcastle event where organizers and volunteers will hand out coloring books, posters and materials to children and families.

Next steps: The committee will pursue local distribution of light‑testing cards and coordinate outreach at community events; the chair asked that lighting remain on the next meeting agenda for follow‑up.