Since its establishment in June 2007, the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) has substantially contributed to advancing conservation of Georgia’s fragile coastal environment, endangered species, and “species of concern”, particularly sea turtles and diamondback terrapins. The GSTC’s conservation strategy works through an integrated approach merging rehabilitation, research and education. As such the GSTC offers a wide variety of educational programs to our K-12 audience, including several career based options designed for an audience of 7th grade and up and correlated to state and national curriculum standards. The combination of engaging subject matter, hands-on involvement and personal interaction with our accomplished staff allows a level of engagement unparalleled in a typical classroom setting. We would like to present our newly developed Diamondback Defenders program to conference participants allowing them first hand experience with gps technology and mapping strategies used for conservation management of the diamondback terrapin on Jekyll Island
