San
Pancho - The
2004 Turtle Nesting Season Is Upon Us!!!
By Elvia & Geno
Lamphiear
Back in December of last year
we wrote an article on Frank Smith and the Grupo
Ecológico de la
Costa Verde and their efforts to save the marine sea
turtles.
We thought it appropriate with the 2004 Turtle Nesting
Season starting that we discuss the turtles and the
group again.
 Frank Smith (lovingly referred to as Don Quijote)
is one of those characters of San Pancho we talked
about in our first article.
Frank is a retired forest ranger from the U.S. Forest
Service, a great friend, a man with a passion for nature,
integrity, totally dedicated to his mission of thirteen
years protecting the marine turtles. It is common to
see Frank and/or the volunteers patrolling the beaches
in the yellow dune buggy or releasing the baby turtles
(usually at sunset) shortly after they hatch.
When you visit San Pancho come and visit the nursery
and meet Frank.
The following is a write-up
by Frank Smith on the home page of the Grupo Ecológico
de la Costa Verde, A.C. website: http://www.project-tortuga.org
"In the spring of 1992 the founding members of the
Grupo Ecológico de la Costa Verde, A.C. (Group)
organized and built the first marine nursery. By June,
a large scale protection of Olive Ridley and Leatherback
turtle eggs had begun... In 10 years the population
had increased from 72 to 661 nesting females.
 Millions of years before humans arrived in North America,
the marine turtle had well established its nesting
habitat along the coastal waters of Mexico. The oldest
inhabitants of San Pancho can still recall the nights
when hundreds of nesting turtles climbed the moonlit
beaches to renew the custom of perpetuating their species.
The palm-laden playas were free of development and
offered an idyllic location for nesting. Occasionally,
the coastal pueblos would gather food from the generous
supply of eggs and turtles.
The growing human population,
coupled with the changing demographics of the coastal
region in the past one hundred years, has dramatically
altered the habitat, and thus, the reproductive cycle
of the turtles. Pressures
from coastal development, poaching, shrimp fishing,
and tourism reduced a population of thousands of nesting
turtles along the San Pancho beaches to less than 72
nesting turtles per year.
A major conservation effort
to protect the marine turtle began in the summer
of 1991. It was then that members of the community
became concerned that the local marine turtle population
may soon face extinction."
Currently the group is offering the following activities:
2004 Slide Show Presentation
by Grupo Ecológico
de la Costa Verde, A.C. :
This presentation is suited for all ages and addresses
the life cycle and future of today's Marine Turtles.
This event is made possible by Gallo's Pizza Restaurant
in San Francisco (San Pancho). Time: 7 pm on Thursdays
- Location: Gallo's Pizza Restaurant is located on
the main street of San Pancho (across from the soccer
field).
2004 Guided Tour Of Our Marine Nursery :
This tour is suitable for all ages. When available,
visitors can view the process of getting hatchlings
ready for their journey to the sea. Time: 6 to 9 pm
every evening except Thursdays. Location: North end
of America Latina in San Pancho.
Releasing Hatchlings and Viewing Nesting Turtles :
This guided beach walk is suited for ages seven and
older. When available, we will release hatchlings to
the sea and view adult turtles nesting. Time: 9 pm
on Thursdays after the 7 pm slide show at Gallo's Pizza
Restaurant.
All of these activities are free of charge. If you
would like to help support this group in their amazing
efforts to save the turtles, you may purchase T-shirts
with the groups logo at Gallo's Pizza Restaurant or
at the Oasis Gift Shop (also on the main street of
San Pancho). Donations, of course, are gratefully accepted
as well.
For more information on the
above activities - or
how you can help, please call Frank Smith at: 01 (311)
258-4100 or email at grupo-eco@project-tortuga.org Elvia & Geno Lamphiear
genolamhiear@hotmail.com
* This
information is provide by María Elvia
Garcia Palomera & Geno
Lamphier, owners of Calandria
Realty in San Francisco [San Pancho], Nayarit,
Mexico
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