Photo by: BARBARA BERGWERF

Turtleteam members (from left) Mary Alice Kruesi, Mary Pringle and Tee Johannes work to help Loggerhead Sea Turtles survive and thrive. Here, they point our tracks left by a 300 lb loggerhead who had laid 104 eggs.

Our sandy beaches and marshlands make ideal homes for pregnant Loggerheads preparing to lay their eggs.

Locally, places like the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island have become well-established nesting grounds.

And, even though their nesting season isn't upon us just yet, there are plenty of steps we can take to ensure the hatchlings will have a good chance for survival when they're ready.

According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website, www.dnr.sc.gov/seaturtle, the sea turtle nesting season starts in May and continues until August.

However, the sea turtles will continue to hatch until October.

Mary Pringle, project leader of the Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island Sea Turtle Nest Protection Project, works with more than 100 other volunteers under the SC DNR.

We are here to "find and protect Loggerhead nests," Pringle says.

The team is committed to the overall well-being of the sea turtles and their nests.

In some cases where there is a high risk of predation, the eggs will be removed from the nest and monitored while they're incubated.

Once hatchlings emerge from the sand, it's imperative that they return to the ocean on their own as quickly as possible.

To do this, the hatchlings instinctively move toward the brightest light, which should be the moon.

However, artificial lights from commercial and residential properties have been shown to be disorienting to them; leading them toward the dunes and away from the ocean.

By turning off porch lights and other artificial lights that aren't a necessity, the hatchlings will have a better chance to be guided by the natural light of the moon.

Hatchlings have enough to worry about from the moment they're born.

Ghost crabs, birds and other animals that live around the marshland are all potential threats that can prevent them from reaching their destination.

While these threats are just a part of nature, items left on the beach from a day-at-play aren't. And, they can be just as threatening.

The Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island are traditionally regarded as family-friendly places for picnics and sandcastle building, especially in the spring and summer times.

While these beaches do offer places to enjoy the outdoors, it's important to remember to clean up after ourselves.

Discarded trash isn't the only problem; in-tact sandcastles and holes left dug-up all pose significant risks to the hatchlings that venture out onto the sand after we leave.

The hatchlings can be as small as two inches in some cases.

Whit McMillan, director of education at the South Carolina Aquarium, is very familiar with the sea turtle population around the Charleston area.

And, he also stresses the importance of awareness when being outdoors.

It's important to remember that during the months that our beaches are most crowded, that's also the time of year that the sea turtles are nesting.

Careless boat and personal watercraft operations don't only provide a dangerous environment for other beachgoers but to the sea turtles as well.

The SC DNR website reports that, "Sea turtle mortality from boat interaction is on the rise."

Pringle and her team have been protecting nests and relocating eggs on the Isle of Palms since 1995.

Although it took some time for their efforts to take effect, their hard work has not been in vain.

When they began in '95, the hatch rate was at 10 percent.

Every year since then, the hatch rates have at least been 70 percent.

During the sea turtles last nesting season in 2011, there were 46 nests reported on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island.

Perhaps the most important step people can take in helping the sea turtles is reporting the activity.

Contact the local police, or if you're at the Isle of Palms, call 843-886-6522.

By reporting the activity, you just may be saving a life.