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Coastal managers urge volunteers for Turtle Town USA after spring beach tilling; county reports 12 sea-turtle nests so far
Summary
St. Johns County coastal managers described post-renourishment beach tilling and escarpment remediation done April 6–15 to improve sea-turtle nesting habitat, announced a May 16 Turtle Town USA cleanup at several beaches, and reported 12 confirmed nests so far this season.
St. Johns County Coastal Management officials described routine post-renourishment beach tilling and escarpment remediation and urged residents to help at a county-organized cleanup ahead of sea-turtle nesting season.
"So far in St. Johns County, we have 12 nests," said Sloan Stevens, project manager for Coastal Management, calling the count a promising start. Stevens said species breakdowns are posted on the county website and were not read on air.
Stevens explained that tilling is a permit-required post-construction activity meant to loosen compacted sand so nesting sea turtles can dig nests more easily. She described escarpments (steep drop-offs formed during the natural equilibration process after a renourishment) and said scarps are remediated with heavy equipment such as bulldozers while tilling is typically performed with a tractor dragging a rake.
"Operations occurred between April 6 and April 15 this year at our beaches," Stevens said, reporting the recent work. She listed Ponte Vedra Beach, Vilano Beach and St. Augustine Beach as locations where tilling took place this season.
County staff and partners are organizing Turtle Town USA, a volunteer beach cleanup scheduled for Saturday, May 16, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteers are asked to register through the county website or contact Solid Waste; Larson provided the Solid Waste phone number (904-827-6980) and email on-air.
Stevens asked beachgoers to remove all litter, avoid walking on vegetated dune areas and be mindful of vehicle ruts that volunteers sometimes re-grade so hatchlings can reach the water. She noted that dune vegetation such as sea oats is not decorative but an important natural protection for dunes and infrastructure.
Why it matters: Beach tilling and escarpment remediation are part of permit conditions designed to improve sea-turtle nesting success and maintain storm-protection benefits of renourishment projects. Volunteer cleanups reduce obstacles that impede hatchlings.
What happens next: Coastal Management will continue monitoring nests and conduct additional post-project maintenance as required by permits. Turtle Town USA organizers expect volunteers to assist with litter removal and light raking in targeted areas.
Source and context: On-air summary from St. Johns County public-affairs programming featuring Coastal Management project manager Sloan Stevens and county public-affairs director Wayne Larson. Species-level nest counts were referenced as available on the county website but were not enumerated on-air.
