Progress Report 2014
November/December 2014 Newsletter jekyllislandfoundation.org | 912.635.4100
From Executive Director Dion Davis
Calendar of Events
W
hether you prefer “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” “Walking in a Winter Wonderland” or “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” Christmas music is upon us. Malls are filling with sparkly decorations and plans completed for reunited visits with loved ones. Like it or not, the constant barrage of music, media and retail has begun.
Were you asked to recall your most favorite holiday memory, food, friends or family (and not necessarily in that order) would spring up in every story. Good memories evoke emotions that we don’t think about as we go through our busy lives, taking kids to soccer, meeting deadlines or taking out the trash; however, when recalled, they bring hope and excitement and create lasting traditions. Here on beautiful Jekyll Island we offer a holiday retreat where you can relax, enjoy the season and make memories. On Nov. 29, Jekyll Island hosts the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Festival, complete with Santa, crafts, jingle bell tours, fireworks, food and entertainment, beginning at 4 p.m. Interested in seeing how the millionaires celebrated Christmas? Venture inside the “cottages” for a trip back in time. If shopping is your bag, the island offers gifts of all sorts and varieties. Ride a bike? Play 3 golf? Walk on the beach? We have something for everyone.
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL Nov. 29 The magic of the holiday season arrives with the Island’s annual Tree Lighting Festival. Bring the family to welcome Santa, enjoy crafts, jingle bell tours, food and entertainment. Don’t forget about the evenings fireworks!
The
festival
begins
at
4 p.m., in the Historic District lawn area with tree lighting and fireworks at dark. Free.
For more information on all holiday offerings, visit jekyllisland.com or www.jekyllclub.com/events.
I hope to see you soon!
HOLIDAYS IN HISTORY Nov. 29 – Dec. 31 Jekyll Island Museum Adults $16, Children 7-15 $7, Children 6 and under free The cottages of the historic district are decorated for the season!
Enjoy
the history of Jekyll Island enriched in seasonal splendor as you venture inside the cottages of Jekyll Island’s National Historic Landmark District. Adults $16, children 7-15 $7, children 6 and under free. Nov. 29-Dec. 31 (except the 24th & 25th) at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and
Renewed concentration, focused deliberation and strong leadership!
3 p.m. daily.
Special Twilight Tours
are available Saturdays in December, 4pm. Reservations are required for the twilight offering. Jekyll Island Museum, 912-635-4036.
Meet Our Board
Since coming onto the Board, Majanovic has remained
Mahi Majanovic Human Resources for Georgia Power
the energy floating in the air there has remained palpable.
By Anna Hall
excited about the changes he sees underway on the island. As each renovation effort is checked off the to-do list, and with new hotels, restaurants and businesses setting up shop,
“We, as a Board, all bring our own perspectives and our own backgrounds. It has created a very unique and diverse range of people who are producing an interesting, fresh new wave of good ideas,” Majanovic said. “We have created a
W
Board where everyone is excited to see these new changes
the state park’s crisp sands, roaming its seemingly magical
Majanovic isn’t alone in his excitement about the work
forests and exploring the long-lived history that make the
underway to remodel and further improve the historic state
island so unique.
park. “The entire Board,” he said, “is united in their vigor
ith zest and clarity, Mahi Majanovic recalls the
and bring to life an improved, special Jekyll Island. It’s an
vacations his family would take to Jekyll Island
exciting time.”
when he was a tyke. Hours were spent playing in
to revamp Jekyll.” While each Board member brings his “It has always been a special place for me, for my family.
or her own perspective and background to the table, they
I know I hold it dear to my heart, the same way so many
remain cohesive on their common ground of island-wide
Georgia families do,” Majanovic said. “There aren’t many
improvements as well as preservation.
places like Jekyll, where you can just forget the worries of the world for a few days. Some of my favorite childhood
For Majanovic specifically, his eyes are set on education,
- and grown up, for that matter - memories took place on
historic preservation and environmental stewardship, noting
Jekyll Island.”
the recent attention placed on revitalizing Horton Pond.
Fast forward a few decades, and Majanovic is making all
“Education, history and the environment are three elements
new memories with his own family on the Georgia coast.
of this island that go hand-in-hand and give the island that
Every year, Majanovic, his wife and their family make a four
special sense of character,” he said. “From the Georgia Sea
or so hour drive from their home in Augusta to escape the
Turtle Center and the work being done there, to the history
hectic schedules of daily life. They trade their business
museum and efforts being made island-wide to resurrect
meetings and emails for time to kick back and relax along
and showcase that unique history, so much is going on,
the waterfront. Specifically, Majanovic and crew come to
both out in front and behind the scenes.”
Jekyll every November to start their holiday season, with the gourmet Thanksgiving buffet lunch offered at the Jekyll
Moving forward, Majanovic is eyeing his calendar and
Island Club Hotel.
planning out his next trip to Jekyll. Every time he comes back to the island, he sees a new improvement, a new detail
It was, coincidently, just such a turkey-laced Club Hotel meal
that further sparks his passion. And, with any luck, that next
that led Majanovic to the Jekyll Island Foundation, where he
trip island-side will not only highlight the efforts the Board
now serves on the Board of Directors.
is working to make on Jekyll, it too will bring him that famed holiday meal he looks forward to every season.
“I was standing at the dessert bar, making small talk with a fellow diner, when we discovered we had been fraternity
“Jones Hooks (Executive Director of the Jekyll Island
brothers at UGA,” said Majanovic, who has worked in human
Authority) and his team are doing great things, and with
resources for Georgia Power for more than 16 years. “About
the additional help of the Foundation and Board, we know
a year after that, the man I had met at the dessert bar,
a great revitalization is planned and underway on Jekyll,”
Joe Wilkinson, contacted me and asked if I would join the
Majanovic said. “Every day, a new step of progress is taken.
Foundation Board of Directors. I have always had such a
The plans in place are working, and I can’t wait to see how
love for the island; I wouldn’t even think of passing on this
brightly Jekyll Island shines in five, ten years. I’m thrilled to
opportunity.”
be even a small part of it all. And I’m really ready for that Thanksgiving buffet.”
HOLIDAYS IN HISTORY By Andrea Marroquin
Jekyll Island has a long tradition as a holiday resort. The island was purchased by the Jekyll Island Club in 1886, and became renowned as a winter resort for the wealthy. By 1904, Munsey’s Magazine could report that each winter the Jekyll Island Club opened in time for its members to enjoy Christmas dinner. Now you, too, can explore the memorable holiday activities once shared by the members of the Jekyll Island Club. To create festive memories in the present day, take a “Holidays in History” tour of the Jekyll Island historic district and explore Christmas through the ages. From a homespun Victorian Christmas, through the Gilded Era and into the Jazz Age, the Jekyll Island Museum’s “Holidays in History” tour provides historical snapshots of Christmas celebrations enjoyed on Jekyll Island throughout the time of the Jekyll Island Club. Throughout the season, the Jekyll Island historic district is a showcase of holidays past. The cottages of the Club era are elegantly decorated to reflect the vibrant mood of the season during different moments in Jekyll Island’s eventful history. Guides shepherd guests throughout the entire historic district and inside two cottages, richly decorated for the season. Enjoy unique seasonal stories from the time of the Jekyll Island Club and discover how cherished Christmas customs originally came to be.
Event Info Nov. 29 – Dec. 31 Jekyll Island Museum Adults $16, Children 7-15 $7, Children 6 and under free
Experience the sights, sounds, customs and pleasures of holidays past! “Holidays in History” is offered daily, from Nov. 29 - Dec. 31 (except Dec 24 & 25) at 11a.m., 1p.m. and 3 p.m. Special Twilight Tours are also available Saturdays in Dec. at 4 p.m. Reservations are required for the twilight offering. Reserve online at jekyllisland.com or call the Jekyll Island Museum at 912-635-4036.
A SECRET EXPEDITION Over a century ago, a small party headed by Senator Nelson W. Aldrich first envisioned America’s modern banking system from Jekyll Island, Georgia. The Panic of 1907 made the need for banking reform abundantly clear. Banks failed, and worried depositors withdrew millions from savings. In those hard times, there was no central bank in America. Jekyll Island Club Member J. Pierpont Morgan personally led the mission to stabilize the economy. Senator Aldrich declared, “Something has got to be done. We may not always have Pierpont Morgan with us to meet a banking crisis.” In November of 1910, the “strangest, most secret expedition in the history of American finance” was therefore arranged to develop a plan away from public scrutiny. Using the excuse of
a “duck hunting trip,” an influential group of politicians, financiers, and economists retreated to Jekyll Island for a full week. In this place of seclusion, they drafted a bill for Congress without interruptions from reporters and daily life. Arriving on Jekyll Island, they “worked morning noon and night.” Finally, they left Jekyll Island with a bank reform bill in hand. The Aldrich Plan called for the creation of a central bank with regional branches, able to make emergency loans to member banks and print money. Aldrich believed his bank reform legislation would assist all members of society, not just the businesses and bankers, “but even more so the farmers . . . . [and] the wage earners . . . who, under our present monetary
system, have absolutely no means of safeguarding themselves against loss.” The Aldrich Plan served as a foundation for the Federal Reserve Act, which established America’s present-day banking system and was signed into law on December 23, 1913. To discover how the many influential Jekyll Island Club Members have shaped our nation, visit the Jekyll Island Museum on Stable Road, or call 912-635-4036. Tours and exhibits are available daily.
Disney Gives Foundation Recognition Grant due to work done internationally for sea turtles in Costa Rica by GSTC staff
O
n behalf of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC), the Jekyll Island Foundation (JIF) has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF). The conservation grant recognizes the GSTC’s efforts to be involved with sea turtle and wildlife conservation in Costa Rica since 2010. In 2013, our team received a DWCF award for $25,000 for a project entitled Capacity Building for Marine Turtles. The project’s focus has been in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica in the Osa Region. Our primary goal has been to build local capacity for sea turtles in Costa Rica using an integrated conservation approach of education, rehabilitation, and research. We train our Costa Rican partners in ways that have proven successful for GSTC, and we transfer those
practices and knowledge for sea turtle conservation to other countries. Sea turtles are international and so are our conservation efforts. “The ultimate goal is to have Costa Rican specialists trained and then doing the ground work. A special thanks to DWCF and the Jekyll Island Foundation for financial assistance and continuing this project,” said Terry Norton, DVM, Diplomate ACZM, Director and Veterinarian, Jekyll Island Authority’s GSTC. We are excited to have recently received a second year of funding for this project from DWCF, also in the amount of $25,000. Our focus remains to integrate the three disciplineseducation, rehabilitation, and research to promote and enhance sea turtle conservation in Costa Rica.
The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund focuses on protecting wildlife and connecting kids and families with nature. Since its founding in 1995, DWCF has provided more than $25 million to support conservation programs in 114 countries. Projects were selected to receive awards based upon their efforts to study wildlife, protect habitats and develop community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems. For more information on Disney’s commitment to conserve nature and a complete list of 2014 grant recipients, visit ww.disney.com/conservation.
TURTLES ABROAD Interior Focus of Phase 2 of Important Project By Sonja Kebless This September marks my one year anniversary of serving as an AmeriCorps Education member at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC). When I arrived a year ago, I had guessed that my experience working here would be interesting and enjoyable. I did not expect that my task of educating people about sea turtles and their conservation would take me to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. This past April, I left Jekyll Island to volunteer with the St. Kitts Sea Turtle Monitoring Network. Run by Dr. Kimberly Stewart, the network monitors nesting Leatherback sea turtles and other sea turtle species. My job was to assist Dr. Stewart with the night patrol. Every night, we would head out to the beach at 8:00 p.m. and stay until the following morning around 4:00 a.m. Walking up and down the beach, we would look for signs of nesting Leatherback sea turtles. During the day, I spent my time enjoying the natural beauty and culture of St. Kitts. The crystal clear water of the Caribbean encourages the growth of many beautiful species of coral. Hiding amidst the coral gardens was the elusive Hawksbill sea turtle. This critically endangered sea turtle feeds on sponges that live in the coral reef. It was an incredible privilege to see it moving about in its natural environment. Perhaps the most memorable experience I brought home from St. Kitts was not found on the beach or in the tropical rainforest but within the walls of a classroom. The students of St. Kitts Island (SKI) Academy approached Dr. Stewart wanting to know how they could design a project that would help sea turtles. Dr. Stewart and I visited the school and met with the students to discuss their ideas. Afterwards, we visited a small facility where Dr. Stewart rehabilitates sea turtle hatchlings. We showed the students how to clean the turtles’ shells and shared their species information. What a treat it was to connect with students outside my home country about sea turtles and their conservation! Here at the GSTC, we place an emphasis on education, rehabilitation, and research. During my year at the GSTC, I have seen these principles applied locally on Jekyll Island and in various counties in Georgia. Traveling to St. Kitts gave me an appreciation about the role the GSTC plays globally. Not only does the GSTC provide volunteers to the St. Kitts project, but we found a partner in sea turtle conservation. The students I met during my stay are working to protect sea turtles, just like the students I teach at the GSTC. Everyone can do something to help conserve sea turtles; and when we partner with friends in other countries, we become a powerful force that may have an impact on the future.
TRACKING TERRAPINS
In the Marshes of Jekyll Island By David Zailo, UGA Graduate Student and GSTC Researcher
This article summarizes some of the collaborative research underway by Brian Crawford who is a Ph.D. candidate in the Integrative Conservation Program at the University of Georgia. Brian’s research is helping form comprehensive decision
making
and
management
planning for the conservation of the Diamondback
Terrapin
species
on
barrier islands.
This
past
week,
Diamondback
AmeriCorps
Terrapin
Member
Becca Cozad and I tracked a pair of
The recaptured terrapin, hatched in 2012 at the GSTC, was weighed and measured
Diamondback terrapins in the marsh
before its release.
on the south side of the Jekyll Island
GSTC, we scanned the young female
part of a rear-and-release program
with a Passive Integrated Transponder
until they are large enough for release
(PIT) scanner that locates the presence
into the wild. It is our hope that by
of a small microchip that is placed under
raising these terrapins in captivity for
an animal’s skin. These PIT tags are the
a short period of time, we are able to
same microchips which veterinarians
increase their chances of survival when
commonly insert into dogs and cats so
released, due to their increased size.
antenna
that they can be identified if an animal
This individual terrapin hatched in 2012,
and receiver system, we are able
is lost and recaptured. We do the same
was released in May of 2013 and was
to determine the exact location of
with many of our rehabilitation and
found nearly five miles from its release
our study animals. This technology,
research animals. The scanner let out an
location - quite a move for such a small
known as radio telemetry, is used by
audible “beep,” and we were rewarded
turtle! With its recapture, we have proof
nearly every member of the Research
with an 18-digit code, indicating that
that some of our released terrapins are
Department here on Jekyll to assist
this terrapin had previously marked.
surviving in the wild and will, hopefully,
with various reptile movement and
With the assistance of the veterinary
Causeway.
This
supported
by
research, the
AGL
which
is
Resources
Foundation through the Jekyll Island Foundation, aims to provide new insight into Diamondback terrapin movements and habitat use. Through
the
use
of
an
habitat use studies.
staff at the GSTC, we were able to
help combat population decline in the area.
While attempting to get a visual
determine that not only had this terrapin
Keep an eye on our Facebook pages
sighting of our intended terrapin, we
been given a PIT tag, it had actually
(Jekyll Island Foundation and Applied
noticed a sub-adult female terrapin
been hatched at the GSTC! As part
Wildlife Conservation Lab) for more
half-submerged
As
of the GSTC’s ongoing Diamondback
pictures and video of this terrapin’s
part of our ongoing “capture-mark-
terrapin conservation efforts, viable
release back into the marsh where
recapture” efforts, which are used to
eggs from female terrapins that are
it was found. Additionally, our video
draw inferences on population size,
hit and killed along the Jekyll Island
documenting the conservation issue
we collected this new terrapin to bring
Downing-Musgrove
are
of terrapins and roads is nearing
back to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center
incubated and hatched at the GSTC.
completion. We’ll have it online within
(GSTC) to give it a unique identification
Upon hatching, these terrapins are
the next week, so keep your eyes
marking. When we arrived back at the
raised in the safety of the GSTC as
peeled!
in
the
mud.
Causeway
Sea Turtle Nesting Season Update Jekyll Island’s last hatchlings have made their way to the sea. Our patrollers have hung up their headlamps, and the 2014 Sea Turtle Nesting Season on Jekyll Island has officially concluded! Below is a summary of how our Loggerheads did this year: Even though the total number of nests on the island
The 2014 patrol team, Mark Dodd, and other GSTC staff during the inventory of nest number 3
was lower than the past few years, it falls right around our average of 112 nests per summer. This dip in total nests is a trend seen in sea turtle nesting populations, as Loggerhead sea turtles only return to nest on Jekyll Island
BY THE NUMBERS • First Nest: May 12, 2014
approximately once every 3 years. The state of Georgia yielded a grand total of 1,205 sea turtle nests, with Jekyll ranking 5th in the state with 107 nests. No Green or Leatherback sea turtles stopped by Jekyll for a visit this year, so all of the activity belonged to Loggerheads.
• Last Nest: August 15, 2014 • Total Number of Nests: 107 • Total Number of False Crawls: 163
However, Leatherback and Green sea turtles did make an appearance on some of the other islands in Georgia.
• Estimated Number of Individual Female Turtles: 37 • First Nest to Hatch: Nest #3 on July 15, 2014
Even though we are into fall, the season’s highlights still shine through for everyone who patrolled our beaches this summer. Some of our favorite turtles include: “Teechee” (tagged 1992, Jekyll Island), “Dos Equis” (tagged 1993, Cumberland Island), “Angela” (tagged 1994, Jekyll Island), and “Twizzler” (genetically detected 2010, Sea Island). The most well-known turtle of all, however, was a turtle called “Josie,” who had four nests and eight false crawls. She became something of a turtle celebrity for our Ride with Night Patrol and Turtle Walk programs, as a total of 248 individual people saw her on 10 of her 12 emergences! Overall, everyone at the GSTC is very proud to have been part of the successful 2014 Sea Turtle Nesting Season. Between May and October, we spent more than 1,000 hours on the beach, covering over 5,300 miles! All of this hard work would not have been possible without the help of GSTC staff, AmeriCorps members, interns, volunteers, the Jekyll Island Authority and the Jekyll Island Foundation.
• Last Nest to Hatch: Nest #104 on September 25 • Total Number of Hatchlings: 5,942 • Average Hatch Success: 60.2%