On World Turtle Day, we had a simply magical time sharing our passion for turtles with the community.
NET (Nature Enhancement Team) Director, Simon George, and Rosalie Bay Activities Coordinator, Judy Joyce, visited two local primary schools on Monday. The duo began with an overview on their relationship with sea turtles and the environment. Then, they shared information about the types of endangered species, our ongoing conservation efforts and the nesting/excavation/hatching process.
Turtle Ambassadors
A call for “Ambassadors for Turtles” was made, and the students enthusiastically volunteered! Everyone who signed up will be invited to help with our future environmental endeavors and clean-ups for Earth Day, River Day and our Ocean Conservancy project. After learning about endangered sea turtles, this group was eager to make a positive impact on their community.
Adopting a Sea Turtle
The next surprise was that each class learned they would have the privilege of “adopting a sea turtle.” Simon read the turtle’s tag tracking numbers, and explained how to choose a name.
Judy has been working with one of the schools for many years, and was extremely honored when the group announced they had named their turtle “Judy.” Judy and Simon will continue to keep in touch with the schools and provide updates as the newly adopted moms return to nest.
The goal of the day was to inform the children about conservation efforts, create an interest in their environment and spark a passion and appreciation for everything Dominica has to offer. We feel that we achieved our goal and are excited to share that World Turtle Day was a success!