[image id="9267" title="donna shaver with cold stunned sea turtles" class="size-medium wp-image-19961" width="300" height="249" ] Dr. Donna Shaver with some of the green turtles that were found at Padre Island National Seashore during the November cold snap. Follow the Padre Island National Seashore Facebook page for the latest.

TRAINING TO SAVE COLD-STUNNED TURTLES DEC. 7 — When a severe cold front drastically drops water temperatures along the Gulf Coast, already endangered green sea turtles wash up on shore stunned by the cold. If not found and protected, they likely will die, according to the rangers at the Padre Island National Seashore.

To help boost the survival rate, rangers are holding a volunteer training session on how to rescue cold-stunned sea turtles. Training will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Seashore Learning Center Gymnasium. (The gymnasium is the large building with green aluminum siding located on Encantada near South Padre Island Drive and St. Andrews by the Sea Church.)

Cold-stunned turtles die without help

Cold-stunning is a major threat to the green sea turtle population in Texas. The only way to help is through search and rescue. The quicker the turtles are found, the more likely they will be saved.

During a cold snap the week of Nov. 25, 16 green sea turtles were rescued in the Corpus Christi area.

"The best treatment is to actually warm them gradually," said Dr. Donna Shaver, a turtle expert at the Padre Island National Seashore. Turtles are brought into the National Seashore's facilities, where temperatures are kept in the 60s. After the turtles start moving again, they are transported to the rehabilitation center at the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas.

In 2011, more than 1,600 sea turtles washed ashore across Texas. Shaver asked for beach-goers to be on the lookout for beached turtles and to call (361) 949-8173 ext. 226 during business hours or (361) 876-8462 after hours if they see any.

As of Nov. 29, 57 cold-stunned green sea turtles were found. Nearly all were located alive and taken to rehabilitation. They will be released back into the gulf in the spring.

As for the training, volunteers do not need to sign up in advance to attend. For more information, call (361) 949-8173 ext. 268 or email pais_seaturtlevolunteer@nps.gov.