The Mickler’s Landing Turtle Patrol is a group of community volunteers who patrol the beach in Ponte Vedra from Sawgrass south to the Old Ponte Vedra Condos. We are part of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Marine Turtle Research and Management program. Our permit holder is Nancy Condron. We patrol our 4 miles of beach every morning, beginning just before sunrise, during sea turtle nesting season, recording research data on all crawls and marking and protecting all nests. In the evenings, we conduct nest evaluations on nests that have hatched three days before. We also collect bags of trash on a daily basis during our morning patrols, in an effort to reduce the amount of trash, particularly plastics, consumed by sea turtles and other wildlife. We act as the eyes of St. John’s County and the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection by reporting violations of county and state rules and regulations we encounter.
Our Team
Nancy Condron, Marine Turtle Permit Holder
Member of the patrol since 2009. Volunteer coordinator 2011-2018. Permit holder beginning in 2019. Volunteer at the Sea Turtle Hospital at UF’s Whitney Lab since 2013.
Diane Matthews
I have been a member since 1999. I started with Bob Stoll, who was our permit holder at that time. Bob became ill in 2005, and I took over the permit for our section of the beach. In 2012, I turned over our permit to Scott Eastman. I have seen many changes over the past 20 years, but it is still a passion for me to walk the beach and be involved in the protection of these endangered and threatened sea turtles.
Joyce Moore
At the urging of my friend Carol, I joined the Micklers Landing Turtle Patrol 5 years ago. I have met so many wonderful people and have been blessed to experience the sunrises on the beach and be a part of this great Turtle Patrol.
Kate Pinkalla
I began walking in 2018 after thinking about it for several years, and have found it more rewarding than I thought possible. Every sunrise is beautiful, I love learning a little bit more with each crawl and nest, and it is so rewarding knowing that I am playing a part in the conservation of these animals. Plus, the hatchlings sure are cute!
Carol Williams
I began walking in 2013 after a chance encounter on the beach with Nancy Condron. Joined MLTP in 2014 and have loved every minute of it. Have learned so much about turtles and our marine environment, especially thanks to Nancy, Scott and other veterans. Have also loved sharing the turtle experience with friends and family.
Terry Williams
(AKA T.L. Williams) is a veteran CIA Officer and award winning author. He has been a member of Micklers Landing Turtle Patrol since 2014. He and his wife, Carol, live in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Abby Kuhn
I moved to Florida in 2018 and was excited to walk with MLTP starting last year. I worked at a sea turtle hospital in North Carolina and they are very near and dear to me. Sunrises on the beach are my favorite and I’m glad turtle patrol gives me another excuse to make my friends and family jealous.