Life could get more deadly for hundreds of pregnant Downbeach Express turtles this spring.
Kimberly (Lull) Wiech has stepped down as primary coordinator of the Margate Terrapin Rescue Project.
A ghastly site to see each May and June. Crushed turtles along the coastal roadways of Margate, Ventnor, Longport and Brigantine. Some still alive, broken shells, writhing in pain. Others doing their best to cross the busy roads.
As of March 31, 2025, according to Kimberly (Lull) Wiech: Anyone with nonprofit and conservation experience is definitely still needed to maintain the overall director/president role of the nonprofit.
Speeding vehicles in both directions. Drivers often don’t see the breeding Salt Marsh Turtles until it’s too late.
The Margate Terrapin Rescue Project now needs a dedicated individual that will run the organization, as well as day to day seasonal responsibilities. I hope someone will be able to take this project into the future with new ideas and energy. Kimberly (Lull) Wiech.
Not an easy decision. Between working full-time job, being a mom (twins) and sometimes using personal funds for this non-profit, there just isn’t enough time left in a day to be fully present.
Kimberly (Lull) Wiech.
Margate’s Downbeach Express was built over an environmentally sensitive area in 1929.
This Margate bridge, road, causeway was built by the Ole Hansen Company. The current CEO of Ole Hansen is Margate’s Jennifer Hansen.
Many believe Ole Hanson needs to take the lead, and stop this annual environmental / ecological catastrophe.
Ole Hanson should take the lead in raising funds and awareness. This annual Downbeach Express turtle kill must stop.
Coastal over-development on barrier islands like Margate, Ventnor and Brigantine destroyed most of the sand dunes that originally served as primary nesting sites for terrapins.
Downbeach Express Salt Marsh Massacre.
A grotesque number of breeding salt marsh terrapins never make it across the road. Crushed by speeding cars.
Contact Margate Terrapin Rescue.
admin@margateterrapinrescue.org
Stopping Downbeach Express Turtle Road Kill.
Ole Hanson to take full responsibility:
- Provide majority of funding. Assist in fundraising efforts.
- Find corporate sponsors. ex: ‘Adopt a Highway’.
- Ole Hanson employees to maintain turtle barriers, not teen volunteers.
- Install additional flashing, warning lights at both ends of bridge.
- Toll-taker reminders; verbal and hand-outs.
- Ole Hanson executes public awareness campaign.
- Ole Hanson buys more lighting, tools & materials.
- Reduce speed limit during nesting season. 15 mph.
Instead of the plastic tubing that is out there now and moves around, falls, blows away… put a more permanent cement or block wall.
Use all the bricks and block from demolished houses in the area. Then nobody has to do anything ever again and turtles are not routinely killed.
Easy permanent fix at no cost with just a few days of some volunteers to place brick and or block.
Great idea… and maybe a great community service project for high schoolers to assist with..
Downbeach Express Terrapin Massacre that occurs every year is absolutely heinous.
I completely agree with every single statement made by author of this article (How to Stop Downbeach Express Turtle Road Kill).
Problem started with Ole Hanson, and that’s exactly where it must end.
Ole Hanson charges enough money to use her bridges. I think she can afford to maintain proper barriers on each side of the roadway. And not charge the people using the bridges any further moneys.
$2.50 each way. Made her a millionaire over and over again.
The Hansen family built over an environmentally sensitive area. They should be made to protect the wildlife. Not only is she makes millions off that bridge, she’s making millions off the addicted community!! She can spare it. At the very least, she should be out there getting her hands dirty.
Many years ago when they built Bayshore Dtive in Margate they took away the beaches that the turtles used come ashore and lay their eggs. The put up bulkhead with docks and filled in a lot of the area for development. When is enough development enough ? Never money is the root of all evil.
That’s a great idea. But we need someone to organize this.
How about some local builders organizing this?
It would be great PR for them. Any help with this?
Great idea, however, they would be able to navigate over bricks. The plastic tubing is harder for them to climb.
HEY OLE,Take care of the turtles what you charge for tolls you have the cabbage….
I agree with all the suggestions listed in the box above
Jennifer Hanson do something instead of lining your pockets
Everything you do you get some sort of benefit out of~
Think you forget where you come from before your recovery days
You are responsible you and ur family
How heartless can you be to not help these innocent animals
You go girl. No one has guts to stand up to Jennifer Hansen.
Do something for entire community, rather than just for those with addictions.
just had a wonderful
call from Sonny the Director of Operations of the Margate Bridge !
I apologize for anything that I wrote that was wrong from this article that was misleading ~ the position of the Turtle director has already been filled!
That’s why you go directly to the source to find things out
not information written
Thank you sir
They need more signage along the causeway alerting driver of turtles crossing the road and asking them to slow down to avoid hurting the turtles. 🐢
Maybe an ‘Adopt a Highway’ type of promotion of signs by local businesses or families.
As an Absecon Island local, I do a part. I boycott the bridge. Saving turtles is just one reason.
The speed limit needs to be reduced drastically during turtle season. People are constantly speeding. This is
turtle territory after all.
No way I see Ole Hansen paying for this. They don’t even fix their broken electronic sign over the left in-bound lane.
Owners of Downbeach Express bridge should be responsible. Just take % of profits and put it towards helping the turtles. They can deal with it.
I (Kimberly Wiech) was notified about the article from Dave Sonnie who works as the Director of Operations for the bridge and he was really concerned about some of the comments that were posted on the article.
I just wanted to set the record straight about the organization. Dave and the operations and maintenance team at the bridge have been nothing but helpful over the last several years, not only helping out with our annual repair day by moving our materials and providing safety cones and trucks, but going above and beyond and helping me directly fix barriers during the season, store our materials, and come in on their days off, without pay, to help out.
Ole Hansen and Sons have donated almost every year to our organization to help install/repair barriers and purchase supplies for our volunteers. Being as it is a private roadway, our relationship with them has been advantageous to us since we do not have to go through as many legal barriers to install and patrol along the roadway.
My stepping away from the organization has nothing to do with Ole Hansen and Sons company; I would never assume for them to oversee a nonprofit, grassroots organization that is volunteer driven. Our mission is to help protect the vulnerable Diamondback Terrapin species and as the property owner, they have not only allowed us to do that, but have provided funds and dedicated man hours to doing so. We, as a nonprofit and conservation minded organization, do not get involved with the business side of Downbeach Express or Ole Hansen and Sons nor would I expect them to be told to step in and run our organization.
In addition, we have been working behind the scenes to try and piece together and fill the position and required tasks, with a few volunteers stepping into various roles. While donations and funding are always appreciated and always needed, it isn’t a replacement for the time and dedication needed to run such an organization, which is why we were looking for someone to take over all of the aspects of running a nonprofit.
Thank you for your assistance in clarifying some of these items and we hope that the project can continue for many years with a new influx of help. Anyone with nonprofit and conservation experience is definitely still needed to maintain the overall director/president role of the nonprofit.
Sincerely,
Kimberly (Lull) Wiech
Whoever wrote this article is not a creditable source and did absolutely NO research on what Ole Hansen does for the turtles! Maybe an interview with the director of operations of Downbeach express would have given you some insight on what actually goes on. Do your research next time you want to put your two sense in on something 🤦🏼♀️
Ole Hansen speaks with it’s actions. It’s owned the bridge for decades and all that happens is the toll goes up. Any bike lanes or sidewalks? Any fishing pier? Any new and safer bridges? Any improvements for wildlife? All no.
You know what has been updated and improved. The systems to remove the money from the toll users.
It’s clear from their actions, the Hansen don’t want to provide a better bridge just better ways for them to get their money.