Big Cypress Chapter presents....Christopher Boykin (PHSS) lecture and monthly meeting April 11th 6:45pm
We are well into our Sea-Turtle Nesting Season in Florida and there is no better person than this month’s guest speaker to tell us about all things TURTLE! But before we get into that, three cheers to the Barrier Island Cleanup Team #1 that bagged a record (for us anyway) 1062lbs of plastic, rope and other debris, balloons included, that can entangle and choke our marine friends! Go Team #2!!
Our esteemed speaker Christopher Boykin is a marine scientist and herpetologist by training, an avid naturalist, a conservationist, photographer, and outdoorsman, who knew as a teenager that he would one day run a seabird hospital. He is the Executive Director of the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station (a bird and small mammal rescue hospital in North Miami, read more here: https://www.pelicanharbor.org/). At the PHSS, he directs communications, management, education, and donor stewardship, and is in charge of their mega fundraising drive to build a new home overseeing their recently held and wildly successful fundraising Gala last March! He is a proud member and past Chair and one of the biggest fans of our wonderful Big Cypress Chapter.
In his presentation, on ‘Turtles of Florida,’ Mr. Boykin will discuss the seven families of turtles found throughout the state as well as their natural history. Chelonians, he says, are one of the most interesting animals on the planet and Florida is home to 28 species with 14 additional subspecies. Christopher has led and contributed to research projects on fifteen turtle species in seven Florida counties, South Carolina, Hawaii, Bermuda, & Venezuela.
