On Thursday, July 28th representatives from the sea turtle research team at CEI went to the Leon Levy Preserve in Governor’s Harbour to share their knowledge about sea turtles with 30 Bahamian children attending the Bahamas National Trust Camp Safari. The week focused on herpetology and during a morning block the CEI team taught the campers about sea turtles. A presentation explained the 4 different species found in The Bahamas – green, loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback – as well as about their life cycle and some of the threats that these reptiles are facing as well as some conservation measures that are helping restore populations.
The campers were very interested and particularly enjoyed videos of sea turtle hatchlings crawling towards the sea. After the slide show presentation everyone participated in an activity where the campers had the chance to practice their sea turtle identification skills, by realizing two dimensional models of the 4 species of sea turtles, as well as learn some important facts about their diet and habitat. During the whole event, the kids were very excited to learn and had many questions. This opportunity for outreach and education was very successful and we are grateful to the Bahamas National Trust for inviting us to join in the camp.
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