Spring Break Volunteer Trip to Sea Turtle Inc.: Students from Emporia State and Pittsburg State Universities led by Dr. Rachel Bowes volunteer their spring break to work with the conservation team at Sea Turtle Inc. (https://seaturtleinc.org/) to build a sea turtle beach hatchery in South Padre Island, TX. Hundreds of turtle nests are lost due to crushing by cars on the beaches of TX each year. These beach hatcheries are vital in protecting nests and helping the population of Kemps Ridley and Green Sea Turtles bounce back in TX. Students have a hugely impactful experience. In addition to seeing many species of sea turtles up close and personal, we were also able to go on a dolphin boat tour (where we got to see a newborn baby bottlenose dolphin!), explore the coastal wetlands, see many migrating bird species, hike in the palm forests along the Rio Grande, and eat some fantastic seafood.
