Talk about diversity. You can learn about sea turtles and 18th century battles between the British and Spanish over the "debatable land" with a visit to Fort Frederica National Monument in Georgia.

Those two topics are part of the monument's lecture series, which revolves around history and natural history along the coast of Georgia.

On February 15 at 5:30 p.m., Terry M. Norton, DVM and director of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, will present a program about the work of the center and the turtles that receive care at the facility on Jekyll Island. This free program will be offered in the monument's visitor center auditorium.

In addition to providing veterinary care for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center programs, Dr. Norton works on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, where he provides medical, surgical and preventive health care for a wide ranger of captive mammals, birds and reptiles. Dr. Norton also provides veterinary support and conducts health-related research for various conservation organizations in Georgia (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, United States Fish and Wildlife Service).

He also organizes and teaches workshops that are presented to the general public, teachers, local veterinary associations, zoos, local universities, veterinary schools, scientific meetings and conservation groups.

The final lecture of the year will be March 23 and will feature Fort Frederica ranger and historian Jon Burpee speaking about Frederica in 1736. The Coasters Lecture Series is a cooperative partnership between the National Park Service and the St. Simons Island Coasters.

The national monument preserves the archeological remnants of Fort Frederica, which the British used in 1742 to repel Spanish invaders and thus kept the land that would become the state of Georgia in British hands.

In the early 18th century, the land lying between British South Carolina and Spanish Florida was known as the debatable land. This land (today's Georgia) was the epicenter of a centuries-old imperial conflict between Spain and Britain.

Fort Frederica was established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe to protect the southern boundary of his new colony of Georgia from the Spanish in Florida. Colonists from England, Scotland, and the Germanic states came to Georgia to support this endeavor.