Bald Head Island Conservancy wins award for work with sea turtles

Bald Head Island, N.C. (WECT) - The Bald Head Island Conservancy won the International Sea Turtle Symposium’s President’s Award for their work saving the sea turtle population.

The award was for research, education and community engagement.

Guests from UNC Chapel Hill’s Lohmann Lab attended to share their collaboration with BHI Conservancy studying how the magnetic fields of sea turtles lead many of them to nest in the same region they had hatched every year. Representatives from UNCW’s MarineQuest Turtle Trash Collectors also came out to educate kids on the impacts of trash that ends up in our oceans.

On Wednesday, the conservancy celebrated World Sea Turtle Day with community activities and a fundraiser.

In addition to the award ceremony, the conservancy organized face painting, interactive booths about sea turtles, silent auctions and even a fashion show all aimed at how people can best help the area’s sea turtles.

The preservation group wasnt the only one celebrating sea turtles this week; Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed the week of June 16 to be North Carolina Sea Turtle Week.

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