Alagadi days.

This morning we checked Alagadi and discovered two loggerhead nests and two nesting attempts. Annette, Brendan and the children measured and caged these up whilst answering questions from early morning sunbathers. Tom and I put marker posts in place along the whole of Alagadi 1 and 2 and painted these with their specific sequential numbers, whilst Ainslie stayed home at the Goatshed and worked on the visitors centre. We all met for lunch at the Alagadi beach bar and then continued work at the Goatshed in the afternoon. By this point the sun was pretty intense. We really went to work with the strimmer and cleared wheelbarrow full after wheelbarrow full of grass and weeds. Returnee volunteer Rebecca Plant, who’s father John lives on the Island in Alsancac arrived and leant a hand. After spending some time with family Becca will be back in Alagadi throughout June (if she wants to live to see July she will be!). Sertac Guven our Cypriot volunteer, who works in Lefkosa but takes free time to help on the project, was also in action. Quite a hive of activity then and when we called it a day around seven things were really beginning to take shape. The info centre is up and running so we are now encouraging people to drop by.

During our industrious afternoon friend of the project Penny Butcher dropped by with a delicious banana cake for which she was famous last season. The cake may survive for 24 hrs at the moment with just the three of us, but traditionally the last crumb is gone within the time it takes to boil the kettle! We enjoyed a few slices with a cup of tea after dinner as the sun set on another great day.

Tomorrow we aim to check the North Coast to Kaplica and will be collecting litter on Alagadi Beach from nine as conditions are currently quite discusting in certain areas where the upkeep of the beach has not been maintained (see picture with the Broderick/Godley family at Alagadi 2 this morning). More logistics to set up in Alagadi and preparations for night work, which we want to get going as soon as possible. With the volume of loggerheads that we are currently seeing, it would be better to know whether these individuals are tagged and to get volunteer training underway. We collect our next volunteer San Joannou at Ercan tomorrow night.