Coastal Wildlife Club Members Visit Sea Turtle Symposium in Thailand

Wilma Katz, Carol McCoy and Patty Walton traveled to Pattaya, Thailand to represent Coastal Wildlife Club (CWC) at the 42nd International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS). More than 800 participants representing 80 countries attended this year’s meeting. The annual symposium provides attendees the opportunity to share successes and challenges with a vast network of others, who share the common goal of ensuring the survival of sea turtles. The CWC members participated in a day-long workshop led by Team BEACH, called “Developing Behavior Change Strategies for Sea Turtle Conservation”. The workshop goal was to introduce behavior change theory and social science to sea turtle conservation practitioners, as well as to put those principles and techniques into practice with real-world examples and thereby improve local programs. The problem submitted by the CWC was hole digging by unknown members of the public. Throughout six intense days, the CWC trio also attended presentations on nesting biology, in-water biology, population biology and monitoring, fisheries and threats, conservation management, education, and outreach and advocacy. The CWC patrollers returned to Englewood energized for the fast-approaching sea turtle season during which CSC turtle patrol volunteers monitor about 14 miles of beach for sea turtle activity. Learn more about the CWC at cwcturtle.org or coastalwildlifeclub.org. Team BEACH workshop participants are pictured here, including the CWC representatives in the front row: Seated fourth from the right is Carol McCoy, then Wilma Katz and Patty Walton.