Nature Series Speaker To Talk About Kemp Ridley Sea Turtle

Near extinction in the 1980s, a heroic effort from two countries has brought the Kemp’s Ridley back from brink of extinction. Now a more insidious hazard unwittingly leashed on the Gulf of Mexico threatens to undo forty years of hard work as well as threatening the Gulf of Mexico itself. Join Dr. Burchfield, Director of the Gladys Porter, Thursday, October 21st, 6 pm to 7 pm during the McAllen Nature Speaker Series at Quinta Mazatlan.

Dr. Burchfield has studied the Kemp’s ridley turtle for over 38 years. The Gladys Porter Zoo carries out their conservation mission by contributing to various conservation projects to preserve endangered species such as Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. There are eight species of sea turtles in the world, and the Kemp’s ridley, Lepidochelys kempii, is the most endangered. It is also the smallest sea turtle and the only species that nests primarily during the daytime.

In 1978, a collaborative bi-national program between Mexico and the United States was developed to try and restore this species’ population to a self sustainable level. In 1981, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service asked Gladys Porter Zoo to administer the United States’ field portion of the joint U.S./Mexico effort to protect and increase the production of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in their natal beaches located in the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. To date, the Zoo still carries out that role.

Patrick M. Burchfield, Ed. D, M.Sc. is currently the Director of the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. In addition, Dr. Burchfield continues to serve as the head of the U.S. faction of the Mexico/United States Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Project. Dr. Burchfield began his zoo career in 1961 at the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio. He earned his Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership/Zoo Biology Curriculum at the University of Houston and his Masters degree is in Biology.

Join Dr. Burchfield on Thursday, October 21st to learn about the preservation of this endangered species and how we can make a difference. The Speaker Series is hosted by Quinta Mazatlan and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce as a means of disseminating ideas and information about our natural environment and the importance of protecting and conserving these wonders. The series is generously sponsored by Thurmond Eye Associates every Thursday evening at Quinta Mazatlan through April 2011.

General admission rates apply $2 for adults and $1 for seniors and no advance registration is required. Quinta Mazatlan, the McAllen Wing of the World Birding Center is located at 600 Sunset in McAllen, one block south of La Plaza Mall on 10th Street. For more information call (956) 681-3370 or visit www.quintamazatlan.com.