Learning through Loggerheads hatched as a nonprofit with 501(c)3 status from a loggerhead sea turtle project management effort started nine years ago. We are dedicated to the protection of the threatened loggerhead sea turtle not only in our project areas but also through education of the public, particularly children.
At this time, our focus area is Botany Island and Botany Bay Plantation located north of Edisto Island. This area is the second highest nesting population of loggerhead sea turtles in the state of South Carolina. The management of the project falls to LtL’s Florence Johnston Scholarship Program. It is the only opportunity of its kind on the South Carolina coast where student interns are trained, work and are paid for their internships.
The staff of Learning through Loggerheads works closely with other local nonprofits to provide support for loggerhead educational programs that reach out to students through camps and other programs for the public and special groups. We have established annual collaborative programs with The South Carolina Aquarium, The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo, and The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
The LtL Story
The original concept of LtL came from the collaboration of two women, Meg Hoyle and Susan Ford. Seeking to give back to their community, they combined their different professional backgrounds and skills and developed an active educational project as part of the loggerhead sea turtle protection project on Botany Island. Through this project, local middle and high school students work as interns during the summer months. They participate in all aspects of the loggerheads’ protection through daily monitoring, nest protection, data collection and educational outreach for the second largest nesting aggregation on the South Carolina coast.
Meg Hoyle After 8 years at the helm of the Botany Community Conservation Sea Turtle Project, Meg is a true champion of the loggerhead turtle and its nesting environment. Amassing a long list of professional experience including a Master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology, she is known for her expertise in community conservation. Meg is enthusiastic about guiding LtL as it expands into the rural classroom.
Susan Ford An Edisto Island homeowner, Susan has explored and seen firsthand the changing environment of the island and its young people. The diminishing interest in its care and protection is one reason she has such loyalty to LtL. As a visionary, she partnered with others to involve local youth and professional scientists to inspire changes for the students’ future as well as the loggerheads’.
Our Board
Susan Ford, President
Lula Grant
Bill Johnston
Charlotte Jones
Ned Rand
Gail Richardson