Tonight is our first night out on the beach!!! It is a bit early for us to begin but Juno Beach is currently undergoing a 2.5 mile nourishment project and we are responsible for monitoring the entire project area for nesting activity. We work closely with the dredge company to ensure that turtles are not disrupted by the construction activity. Any nests laid in an active project area will be relocated by our staff the night they are laid to prevent any impact from the nourishment activity. The project is expected to wrap up soon. We will begin our normal leatherback surveys around March 15 but we are hopeful to see one or two of our girls before then! Last year, there were three leatherback nests on Juno Beach on March 3rd but since we weren't surveying that early, we missed them. It would be nice to see a turtle or two in the next two weeks to keep our minds off of the cold!! With nightly lows expected in the 40s all week, we are layered up and trying to stay warm! We've all got our bets placed about how many nests there will be on Juno this year. Last year, we were stunned by the phenomenal year and no one even came close to guessing 277! We're hoping this year will be the same! Keep checking back for regular updates!
