Turtle Cove

YEAR IN REVIEW: See our most recent Annual Report for CY 2019, our most successful year ever.  See all of our most recent reports here.

Annual Christmas Tree Recycling Program(click for more information on Turtle Cove's annual Christmas Tree program--each season new information is posted in mid-December).

 

NEW Turtle Cove App for Smartphones.  Use this link to browse the app (with your computer) or to directly download the app with your mobile phone--the App is not available in App stores.  This App was developed by students' Phillip Weaver and Zachary Armand in Southeastern's Department of Computer Science as a capstone class project under the direction of Dr. Ghassan Alkadi. This new App works with both Android and Iphones and offers some unique mobile features for travel and exploration in the Manchac Wetlands around Turtle Cove, and also the evolving Manchac Greenway (a recreational "trail" for all types of nature enthusiasts that is developing along old HWY 51 between LaPlace and Ponchatoula--see www.manchacgreenway.org).  One of the key features of the App is a checklist of different wildlife, fisheries and vegetative species you might see as you explore this beautiful and historic region. The App also ties in directly to the Turtle Cove website, so you can learn about all of those species by viewing our on-line educational species signs. Many thanks to the College of Science and Technology's Computer Science Department for making this App a reality!!! (image of turtle icon made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com).

 

THANK YOU for a hugely successful 2019 "Giving Day" for Turtle Cove (our first ever on-line fundraiser), where we raised more than the $7,500 needed for the campaign "DONATE FOR A NEW 70 HP MOTOR FOR OUR TURTLE COVE BROWN BOAT." The motor was purchased and installed in early 2020 and is one of our most used by researchers. Thank you again to all of the donors who contributed!!!

 

VIDEOS: Please scroll down to the bottom of this page to view our two primary videos: (1) "Troubled Waters: History of the Manchac Swamp Ecosystem and Turtle Cove (20 min, 2019) and (2) Turtle Cove Public Relations Video (30 min, 2012)

FUNDRAISERS: Thank you to all who attended our 2017 Fundraiser and our 2019 Giving Day fundraiser!!! Both were huge successes and much appreciated. Our next fundraiser was tentatively scheduled for Fall 2020 but due to COVID-19 pandemic, that is now postponed indefinitely and will obviously need to be rescheduled. Please stay tuned for more information by checking here.  If you would like to make donation to Turtle Cove you can still do so via our regular on-line credit card system here: On-Line Donation Submittal for Turtle Cove Donations

 

MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station (Turtle Cove ERS) is to facilitate and support a better understanding of Southeast Louisiana's coastal wetland environments through research, education, and public outreach activities and programs for Southeastern's students, faculty and staff as well as the greater University community.

 

STATION HISTORY

Turtle Cove itself is a historic structure located in the wetlands on Pass Manchac, a natural pass that connects Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas in southeastern Louisiana. The building was built in 1908 and is home to a variety of ecological and environmental research and educational programs. See our 20-minute Public Relations video at the bottom of this page for more information about everything we do at Turtle Cove.

We invite you to visit the station itself, possibly as a student, volunteer, community member, researcher, or educator. Join us on a field trip or an ecosystem tour,begin a new research project, or attend one of our teacher workshops. We also ask that you consider helping to support our programs by making a donation to Turtle Cove through our Southeastern Foundation.

  

What goes on at Turtle Cove? 

• University classes (at both undergraduate and graduate levels)

• Professional Interdisciplinary Research and collaborative opportunities, primarily in biology (wetland ecology, cypress restoration, aquatic microbiology, entomology, herpetology, etc), but also environmental issues in chemistry, history, economics, education, the arts, and more, and not only from Southeastern, but other regional universities as well.

• Marsh Restoration Programs (Christmas Tree Recycling Program)---in the past 26 years Turtle Cove staff have deployed over 40,000 Christmas Trees in the surrounding marshes of Turtle Cove for the benefits of erosion control, habitat creation, diversion of trees from landfills and for hands-on environmental work.  Turtle Cove also partners with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana in helping to replant cypress trees in the area.

• Graduate student research opportunities in ecology, herpetology and other disciplines

• Community outreach programs, featuring our Self-Guided Boardwalk Tour

• K-12 field trips and inquiry-based learning experiences and field training program for young scientists

• Teacher workshops for continuing education credits

• Collaborative programs with agencies and non profit organizations such as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF), and the University of New Orleans' Coastal Education Program and Coastal Educayion Research Facility (CERF) among others.

 

  

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Troubled Waters: A History of Manchac

Ecosystem and Turtle Cove (2019)

 

Turtle Cove Public Relations Video  (2012)

  

If you visited Turtle Cove or participated in any Turtle Cove activities, please take a moment to fill out the Turtle Cove Satisfaction Survey. It takes about one minute to complete and is anonymous, and will help us provide a better Turtle Cove experience for everyone. Thank you.