Shell-ebrate Sea Turtle Week
Posted on June 1st, 2022
It’s World Sea Turtle Week 8 – 16 June and as a region that hosts six of the world’s seven marine turtles, we have plenty to celebrate. It is also a great opportunity to highlight the status of these beautiful creatures as they are listed as either vulnerable or endangered and what we can do to protect them. Threats such as light, pollution, predators, and human disturbances play a huge role on their population.
Turtles about, so lights out!
Marine Turtle’s of CQ
*Flatback
*Green
*Loggerhead
*Hawksbill
*Leatherback
*Olive Ridley
Flatback, Green and Loggerhead not only swim in our oceans but use our beaches as their nesting grounds.
Teacher Resources
As well as all the resources and information on our local turtles at the FBA website, there are some cool lesson plans, presentations, ideas for field trips and school fundraising ideas to educate and entice young minds here at See Turtles.
Cool Australia has an abundance of turtle resources and lesson plans for students of all levels to learn about the threats to their populations and the need to conserve their habitat. The lesson Threats to Marine Turtles and activity Design a Turtle Nest Protector are great accompaniments to celebrate World Turtle Day.
Get Involved
Volunteer for Team turtle CQ and help monitor and protect our marine turtle nests and their hatchlings
TTCQ is the leading citizen science program that relies almost solely on volunteers to record data on marine turtle nesting activity along central Queensland beaches.
TTCQ also has a youth arm called Team Hatchlings, a group of youth and young students dedicated to helping get the message about how to improve marine turtle livelihood in our region. They have been focusing on decreasing artificial light glow from beach side housing, a known risk factor that can cause turtles and their hatchlings to head away from the ocean instead of towards it, becoming stranded and vulnerable to predators.
For more information on how young turtle enthusiasts can influence light glow at home, FBA’s Turtles About, so Lights Out is an excellent resource.
Social media are powerful tools to spread the message and encourage participation. Upload your photos, videos and activities using the hashtag #SeaTurtleWeek #WorldSeaTurtleDay! #TurtlesAboutSoLightsOut
