turtle watch volunteer arrested

[Geo]

What about an Adopt a Beach program like the Adopt a Highway program?
It could be formal or informal. If public beach- no problem. If private the person/group volunteering to cover the private stretch could approach each property owner to get his/her blessing?

Too naive???

EDIT: If I adopted Spooky Lane (for instance) then my approach would be to stop by every tent during the day and introduce myself to its dwellers. I would inform them that we have a remove it or lose it ordinance in effect, that I have volunteered to keep this stretch of the beach pristine for all its visitors and that later that night I would be removing anything left on the beach (per the posted ordinance).

EDIT II:
I'm considering just declaring myself a steward of my nearest beach access. Whether i do introductions during the day or not, I think I'll just start stacking everything at the beach access nightly...

Bail me out, guys!!!

 

[Interested Girl]

Good luck getting them discuss that. Why? Because in their minds it is not an issue. They have already decided that the beach is pretty and touches the gulf so it belongs to everyone, those that pay taxes on it and those that do not. What amazes me is when people who profess this sort of thing have no trouble selling off their supposed public beach for millions and laugh about it.

Why does this stuff always happen in BMB or Seagrove ?

 

[wrobert]

What I do not understand is if Walton County BCC can pay someone $35/hour to monitor the multiuse path for obstructions and sprinklers spraying the wrong way, why we can not get people to at least keep the PUBLIC portion of the beaches clean.

 

[ASH]

Finally someone who might know. You guys get $80K a year in tax money to run that program. Do turtle walkers get paid? What do you do with the money?

If you walk enough days a week, you become eligible for some of your gas money is what I understand. I personally am walking 4 days a week and believe I may be eligible. I do not get paid for any of my time. It is a volunteer group and I would guess the funds are used for the website, educational materials, light bulbs and shirts. All walkers are given turtle volunteer t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats to wear while walking to identify them. I have several shirts for the many days as well as a sweatshirt because we will still be walking in October. We don't stop walking until 72 days past the last known nest to ensure it has hatched.
The group offers light bulbs to people living on the beach if they can't afford to swap out the ones on their homes. I can't imagine this expense could be picked up for a whole condo, but the group is trying to give what they can. I carry small flashlights, lense covers for flashlights and educational materials like brochures, color books and crayons to hand out to people we encounter on the beach. Most people are very interested and have no idea there are sea turtles nesting here. Education will be a never ending adventure.

 

[wrobert]

I do not get paid for any of my time.

You need to review the definition of compensation according to the IRS. If you are getting ANYTHING for doing the job, you are being compensated for your time. Hats, shirts, and all that other stuff cost money and have value.

 

[ASH]

Your actions on public property would probably not bring Barney or Goober or Gomer to your home. The issue is what is public and what is private.

The issue with the current ordinance is it gives the owner no opportunity to retrieve their possessions when removed.

You bring up a very valid point. Proof of ownership would be a sticky issue as people likely don't write their name on their tent. What would prevent people from learning that when they get here, they need to run over to the TDC and pick out whatever they might need on the beach for the next week and state that it was theirs.
Should there be a timeframe on how long stuff would need to be held before it was deemed abandoned? Could become quite a holding area.

 

[Gidget]

What about an Adopt a Beach program like the Adopt a Highway program?
It could be formal or informal. If public beach- no problem. If private the person/group volunteering to cover the private stretch could approach each property owner to get his/her blessing?

Too naive???

I LOVE that idea!!! But like the Adopt a Highway (I've been fighting litter here for years) it would be SO NICE if people would not trash in the first place (is that too naive?)

What about someone who approached people with tents and toys and floats and said, "Ma'am, I am part of the B.E.A.C.H. (Beach Environmental Awareness Club Helper ) and I just want to ask you to be sure to such and such - pick up all of your things when you leave and then put the monkey on the sea turtle's back. And also THANK those you see leaving with everything in tact.

Is it all tourists? I don't think so - because I've seen some of the yards in the neighborhood I am going to be living in! A lot of them are long term renters so it seems - but zero pride.

IF YOU LOVE FLORIDA YOU WON'T LITTER! That should be the state motto.

G

 

[GoodWitch58]

I support the Turtle Watch work, but I am not a walker...however, I know of at least two others on the board who are...and, probably others that I don't know.

I find this entire situation very sad. I wish we had better enforcement of the ordinances; I wish people were more respectful of nature; I wish that circumstances had not converged to result in this arrest...and I wish we had more information about what really happened.

Most of all, I wish that everyone would appreciate what a treasure our beach is and just how fragile the entire system is...how people can abandon their stuff on the beach with no thought for others is beyond me. Even if it's so-called private beach, it seems awareness of safety and appearance, would be enough to bring in the chairs and tents and toys...it is a sad commentary on the human condition IMO.

 

[kathydwells]

i don't support destruction of private property, but i am a huge advocate of removing trash from the beach. If being pissed off by the tons of crap left on the beach causes one to snap, you can consider me a snapper.

I usually draw with the recipient of my work in mind, but i this drawing i made a while back, had no recipient at the time. I suppose i was reserving it for a moment like this.

the original drawing pictured below, will go to the highest bidder, who can make the check payable to the turtle watcher herself, or her defense fund if she has one. Feel free to bid right here on this thread. I guess the "auction" will need a closing date and time, so let's make it for wednesday, july 1, 2009 at 2:00pm central.

"sea turtle"
18"x24"
pencil, washed with water, on paper

$100.00

 

[Susan Horn]

Ash,

Thanks for your service and all the information you've shared about what turtle walkers do.