“A Labor of Love is exalted because it provides joy and self-expression to those who perform it.” – Dennis Kimbro
This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge topic is A Labor of Love. Rusha wants us to recognize those who go the distance and accomplish things which impact life for others in a meaningful way. Labors of Love can be found around us, all the time. It is often easy to identify and appreciate what others do for the better good of so many.
The volunteers below are members of the Kiawah Island Loggerhead Turtle Patrol Program in SC. Their dedication and Labor of Love helps protect endangered Loggerhead Turtles by monitoring nests from May to October.
These volunteers are relocating this turtle nest to the sand dunes to prevent it from being washed away by the tide. (Turtle tracks are visible in front of the truck, to see them better double clicking the image.)
This picture shows a long time friend counting and sorting discarded egg shells from a recently ruptured nest. Loggerhead nests hatch out between 53 to 66 days, depending on the temperature. After this occurs, it is inventoried to determine the number of hatched turtles.
To date this year, almost 400 nests have been reported on Kiawah’s beach – that entails a lot of work from a large number of dedicated resident volunteers. Sometimes it is a little difficult but no one minds – it is a true Labor of Love and very rewarding! I’m so fortunate to have been involved with the turtle patrol for many years and loved every moment. Should you be interested is learning more, I previously posted two blogs featuring these amazing Turtles nesting on Kiawah. To see additional pictures click here and also click on this link. As a side note, The Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol is one of the largest volunteer programs in the United States and has been in existence since 1973.
This picture show a baby which just appeared out of an almost empty nest. Due to the time of day and people on the beach, the late comers have a little assistance getting closer to the ocean so they can crawl in and swim away.
This picture below is another example of A Labor of Love by many people. Pete, the Plastic Pelican, greets visitors at the entrance to Shem Creek Park in Mt. Pleasant, SC. He was created through A Labor of Love by Charleston School of the Arts students. As you can see, Pete is quite large due to the amount of plastic garbage and marine debris found in the nearby coastal waterway. Over the past many years, his job has been to bring awareness of how trash kills birds and marine life.
This sign acknowledges the many volunteers who helped make Pete a reality.
These last two images show an example of A Labor of Love among wildlife. A Great Blue Heron couple is experiencing A Labor of Love which all parents can identify with – trying to meet the impatient demands of hungry, little ones!
This pair of White Egrets are working together to build a nest for their soon-to-be new family. The male’s responsibility is locating nest building twigs and brush, then bringing it back to his mate so she can design the nest to her liking.
Rusha of Oh The Places We See is the guest host this week – be sure to check out her beautiful post.
“Hard work is painful when life is devoid of purpose. But when you live for something greater than yourself and gratification of your own ego, then hard work becomes a labor of love.” – Steve Pavlina
Please Be Safe, Stay Well and Be Kind!