For Lucas, Resiliency of Sea Turtles Reinforces Nature’s Wonder

It wasn’t until his family relocated to New York City, however, miles from the bustling forests he used to explore as a child, that he realized just how deep that fondness really is. So, when presented with the opportunity to apply for a Cullman Scholarship to pursue a lifelong passion outside the confines of the classroom, Lucas knew he wanted to find a program that would take him outdoors, and preferably near animals.

He found exactly that in the Caretta Research Project (CRP), a nonprofit organization that aims to ensure the long-term protection of loggerhead sea turtles within the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham County, Georgia. And while Lucas had never seen a sea turtle prior to his Cullman experience, he left having seen hundreds.

“It was nuts,” Lucas recalled of the spectacle of watching the creatures, illuminated only by the moon and stars above, immerge from their shells and make the treacherous journey across exposed sand and, with any luck, into the awaiting tide. “It’s amazing how different animals like that are from humans in that we may have one or two kids and put all our eggs into that basket, but for sea turtles, each turtle lays multiple nests with like one to 200 eggs and hopes that maybe one turtle will survive into maturity.”

For Lucas and his fellow volunteers, most of their nine days on the refuge revolved around determining and documenting why those turtles didn’t survive. Lucas’s team gathered data for the CRP, which boasts the longest-running continuous data collection center for sea turtles in the U.S.

Lucas and his peers were tasked with patrolling the refuge’s beaches three times per day, including a night patrol from 1:30 to 3 a.m., to check nests and note observations. Following hatchings, volunteers excavated nests to count the number of unhatched eggs and deceased hatchlings and add the information to the CRP database.  

“Probably only about half of the eggs actually hatch,” Lucas explained. “There are a lot of predators like ghost crabs and coyotes that will dig up and eat the eggs. And when an egg does hatch, it's very hard for the turtle to climb up the sand and out of the nest. So, when you actually see them make it out alive, knowing the odds they overcame, it’s so much more meaningful.”

Prior to arriving in Georgia, Lucas completed a two-week online course offered by the University of Southern California focused on environmental studies and efforts in sustainability. Lucas said it was important to him to find an academic program that would complement his volunteer efforts, even if he doesn’t plan on pursing environmental studies in college.

“I really wanted to go somewhere where I could be outside and do something that I’m probably never going to get to do again,” said Lucas, who will attend Haverford College in the fall. “I felt like a Cullman Scholarship is a great opportunity to do that. I had never been anywhere in the southern U.S. before, and it was baffling how different the environment was from the trees to the animals.”

Considered among Kimball Union Academy’s highest honors, the Cullman Scholarship Program was established in 1983 with a gift from Hugh Cullman ’42 and supports students in off-campus study opportunities. In 2024, Lucas and nine other recipients pursued areas of study of their choosing that develop leadership skills, global and environmental awareness, and service to others.

Lucas, a member of KUA’s varsity lacrosse team and a residential proctor, said he would strongly recommend future generations of KUA students apply for a Cullman Scholarship, even if they’re a little unsure of the subject matter.