GULF SHORES — The Gulf Shores High School Environmental Club presented a sea turtle rescue net to the Gulf State Park Pier on Aug. 7.

In collaboration with Ralph Agnew, a volunteer from the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center, and Melissa Vinson, coastal programs coordinator at Orange Beach Wildlife Center, students constructed a rescue net designed to aid injured sea turtles.

“Several years ago, we used a regular pier net that was 36 to 42 inches across. I told myself that we have got to do better than this,” Agnew said.

The NBSTCC volunteer added that once they were able to upgrade the net and make it larger, they were able to rescue more turtles. “We went from rescuing 12 to 18 turtles to 64,” he said.

More than 50 people gathered beneath the shaded shelter of the Gulf Shores Park Pier to witness the GSHS Environmental Club's presentation of the net.

“Part of Gulf Shores City Schools mission is to incorporate the unique resources of our community to empower students to achieve success,” she said.

Fleming said the club asked the Orange Beach Wildlife Center what they could do to help, and Vinson suggested they build a net to rescue sea turtles that are accidentally hooked by anglers.

Agnew said that building the nets would take up to three days by himself, but with the help of the students they assembled the net in just three hours. The students and Agnew used a stainless-steel frame to prevent rusting, netting and lashing material to create the sea turtle rescue device.

Sarah Sabogal and Kinsey Bauer, presidents of the Gulf Shores High School Environmental Club, said they were proud to see their hard work presented to the Gulf State Park Pier.

“It was a lot of prep work before we actually gathered,” Sabogal said. “We watched how-to videos on the prep work of cutting, measuring and things like that.”

Bauer added that the GSHSEC originally had a smaller net to rescue turtles, but having a larger net is going to help getting those much bigger turtles.

Sabogal and Bauer recently graduated from GSHS and hope the classes after them continue to help the environment and give back to the community. The two plan to continue exploring their love for the environment as they both go off to college. Sabogal said she will study environmental science and Bauer will study marine science.

On a state level, Sen. Chris Elliot played a role in funding this project.
“I am glad to have been able to find the funding for y’all to do this," Elliott said, "and we’re going to continue to fund projects like these."