May 1, 2008
Not only is today my grandson Braden's 6th birthday, it is also lights off at night in our county in the state of Florida.
It's nesting season for our County Mama Sea Turtles. We keep beachfront lighting turned off during the nesting and hatching season, May 1 until October 31. Ideally, lights should remain off throughout the night during this period. Light sources remaining on until 11PM will still affect about one third of the hatchlings emerging from nests on a given night.
Hatchlings emerging from nests at night are strongly attracted to light sources along the beach. Consequently, the hatchlings move toward streetlights, porch lights or interior lighting visible through windows, and away from the relative sanctuary of the Atlantic ocean.
Hatchlings so misled fail to find their way to the sea, and succumb to attacks by predators, exhaustion, drying in the morning sun , or strikes by automobiles in nearby parking lots and roads. One single light left one near a sea turtle nesting beach can misdirect and kill hundreds of hatchlings. Lights left on can also mislead the females attempting to return to the sea after nesting.
I just love the Sea Turtles, I even have a Sea Turtle license plate! Did you know that a Mama sea turtle will come back to the same place she nested last time even after swimming all over the world. How do they know how to do this? Read up on our fascinating Sea Turtles and learn how to protect them.
Miss G, Little House of Music
Not only is today my grandson Braden's 6th birthday, it is also lights off at night in our county in the state of Florida.
It's nesting season for our County Mama Sea Turtles. We keep beachfront lighting turned off during the nesting and hatching season, May 1 until October 31. Ideally, lights should remain off throughout the night during this period. Light sources remaining on until 11PM will still affect about one third of the hatchlings emerging from nests on a given night.
Hatchlings emerging from nests at night are strongly attracted to light sources along the beach. Consequently, the hatchlings move toward streetlights, porch lights or interior lighting visible through windows, and away from the relative sanctuary of the Atlantic ocean.
Hatchlings so misled fail to find their way to the sea, and succumb to attacks by predators, exhaustion, drying in the morning sun , or strikes by automobiles in nearby parking lots and roads. One single light left one near a sea turtle nesting beach can misdirect and kill hundreds of hatchlings. Lights left on can also mislead the females attempting to return to the sea after nesting.
I just love the Sea Turtles, I even have a Sea Turtle license plate! Did you know that a Mama sea turtle will come back to the same place she nested last time even after swimming all over the world. How do they know how to do this? Read up on our fascinating Sea Turtles and learn how to protect them.
Miss G, Little House of Music
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