- April 24, 2024
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Turtle Watch President Tim Thurman, Terri Driver and Turtle Watch Vice President Cyndi Seamon
Barbara and William Lowe, Jack Rozance and Susan and Larry Sajec
Diana Spanos, Bette Maniscalco and Nancy Rozance
Pat Mock and Irina Larose
Thaddeus Jarosz and Brooke O’Malley
Pam and Bob Anderson
Dawn Drost and Grace Berman
Cindy and Dave Phillips
Matt Makhoul and Kim Galway
Teresa MacDonald, Vicki Marinangel and Kim Ross
Charlene Donnelly, Mike Herron, Caleb Jameson and his mother Brenda Jameson
Several models such as this one explaining how runoff affects sea turtles taught guests lessons about why the work of the Longboat Key Turtle Watch is important.
Volunteer Brenda Jameson teaches a guest about the difference between green and loggerhead turtle skulls.
Volunteer Charlene Donnelly shows off her turtle nesting model, which has become such a popular education tool that she made a second one for Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium.
Volunteer Charlene Donnelly says it took a mix of four paint colors to get a color that was this close to the actual hue of baby sea turtles.
Singer-songwriter Dean Johanesen performs for guests as they eat.
Barbara Compton and Nancy McLean
The raffle table was decorated in true Cinco de Mayo fashion.
There was plenty to celebrate May 4 at Cedars East Tennis Resort and Club.
Longboat Key Turtle Watch volunteers and supporters gathered for the organization’s annual Cinco de Mayo-themed fundraiser, Fiesta de las Tortugas. Guests munched on Mexican cuisine from the dinner buffet, listed to live music by singer-songwriter Dean Johanesen and entered raffles for everything from an Anna Maria Oyster Bar gift certificate to an educational afternoon on a Sarasota Bay Explorers boat.
Several volunteers such as Charlene Donnelly were stationed at the education station to teach guests about sea turtle nesting and how chemical pollutants, floating plastics and runoff affect the turtles. Donnelly created several models and interactive boards that she brings to events like this.
“We try to hit every way people learn,” she says, noting that not everyone wants to listen to her explain the models. “Some people don’t want to talk, so they can go through the Q&A board. We try to make it fun for people to learn.”
Proceeds from the event will go towards Longboat Key Turtle Watch efforts to help turtles and the environment.
