CEO Chatter with Jack Lighton
Dear Friends of LMC,
What do springtime, sea turtle nesting season, and guests visiting from around the globe have in common? If they are in Juno Beach on Saturday, March 19th, it would be our ever popular TurtleFest! The best part? TurtleFest is totally free to attend.
This special edition TurtleFest newsletter will list the reasons why you should join us and what you can expect to experience as we celebrate this year’s theme, Discovering Our World Ocean. Loggerhead Park will be transformed into a fun, free-admission festival, offering something for the entire family including: excellent live music on our main stage, delicious food and beverages, incredible shopping, beautiful art, as well as exciting educational games and activities for the kids.
Speaking of exciting – who doesn’t love treasure? While enjoying TurtleFest, don’t forget to pick up your Treasure Map! When completed, this map will allow you to enter a drawing for two fantastic treasure chests, both of which are bursting at the seams with valuable prizes.
In addition to everything that we have happening during the day in the beautiful Loggerhead Park, please keep in mind that we are now in sea turtle nesting season in Palm Beach County. Our beaches are some of the most important sea turtle nesting grounds on the planet. Attending TurtleFest will allow you to learn more about majestic sea turtles and the oceans and beaches that they call home.
On behalf of our entire community, I thank you for your support and excitement. I hope to see you at TurtleFest 2016, where we can discover our world ocean together!
Warm Regards,
Jack E. Lighton
President & CEO
Brand new: water refill station
Each year, more and more plastic debris enters the ocean. It breaks down into tiny pieces and floats in the currents for years, damaging the ecosystem from the bottom of the food chain up. Plastic debris is a problem we face in our sea turtle hospital far too often.
In lieu of selling plastic water bottles this year, TurtleFest will feature a water station where guests may refill their reusable water bottles for free all day long! Please either bring your own bottle or purchase one at the festival – limited edition TurtleFest 2016 water bottles will be for sale next to the water station for $6.00. Support our efforts to reduce marine debris and better protect the ocean. You too can be an ocean hero!
Brand NEW: Bike Valet Station
We are so excited to announce our brand new Bike Valet Station for TurtleFest 2016! We are encouraging attendees to ride their bikes to TurtleFest and park them at the free Bike Valet Station. Guests that valet a bike will receive 25% off of the purchase of a refillable water bottle.
PNC Bank’s Grow Up Great Lagoon
In the Grow Up Great Lagoon, children ages 5 and under can enjoy ocean-inspired story times, interactive games, feel stations, and hands-on crafts in this exclusive area for early learning. Activities will inspire early learners to explore and investigate the world around them. The Grow Up Great Lagoon will feature a Turtle Tots play area with interactive tumble blocks, as well as an Early Ocean Ambassador pledge to protect their favorite animals. Special thanks to PNC Bank for sponsoring this area.
The Garden Mall’s world ocean pavilion
The World Ocean Pavilion will feature interactive Wet Lab stations – where guests will be able to test water quality and create a model of our local watershed. A land art station will allow visitors to create masterpieces using found items on the beach, while learning about the “leave no trace” initiative. Our popular Junior Veterinary Lab will teach children about sea turtles and the rehabilitation work carried out at LMC. The Conservation Station will focus on responsible angling and allow guests to target invasive species with a lion fish game, as well as learn about sea turtle rescue at local piers. Additionally, craft stations will inspire children to be creative and take home watercolor salt paintings, origami sea turtles, water cycle bracelets, and sea turtles crafted from recycled wallpaper. Special thanks to The Gardens Mall for sponsoring this area.
Free Admission to TurtleFest 2016 is Courtesy of the Event’s Presenting Sponsors
Special thanks to our generous sponsors: The Gardens Mall, PNC Bank, Jupiter Medical Center, Tire Kingdom and Florida Power & Light.