Turtle Conservancy News and Program Updates
During the winter months, the Turtle Conservancy’s Conservation Center experiences a tranquil period. Many species enter hibernation, while others seek refuge in our climate-controlled indoor habitats during inclement weather. This lull in activity provides the Turtles Conservancy Staff with the perfect opportunity to embark on various updates and improvements around the center, and they've been hard at work!
Last week, the Turtle Conservancy’s education team, Kelly Herbinson and Manci Rasmussen, presented at our local City Hall to the youth members of the Green Valley Project about our native Southern Pacific Pond Turtle. The focus was to discuss our current conservation efforts for the species, why the turtles are facing a population decline, and how their organization can aid in their conservation...
On July 14th, the Turtle Conservancy was invited to present to Nordhoff High School’s College and Career Foundations course. This summer the class is instructed by Peter Deneen, an Ojai local turned environmental writer and educator bringing inspiration to the public high school. Deneen had an innovative approach that included inviting professionals from diverse fields to come and speak to his students. He shared with us that his goal for the class was to “create a container of self-exploration for 10-12th graders living in our current chaotic uncertainty of now, where the traditional pathways to ‘success’ have been eroded by the social, political, and environmental realities of the moment, and equip them with the tools they will need to get to know themselves and their core purpose as well as possible.”
Over the past three years, the Turtle Conservancy and The Thacher School have developed a partnership aimed at innovating a new kind of science curriculum that engages students in real-world turtle conservation programs through hands-on learning experiences. This summer we took it to the next level by inviting middle school students from Los Angeles County and surrounding areas to join us on a week-long adventure. The students were immersed in learning about various aspects of turtle conservation and Ojai ecology. Some specific topics that we covered include learning about individual chelonian species, conservation management techniques, egg development, the climate crisis, and the theory of convergent evolution in giant tortoises….
Last week, the Turtle Conservancy’s education team, Kelly Herbinson and Manci Rasmussen, presented at our local City Hall to the youth members of the Green Valley Project about our native Southern Pacific Pond Turtle. The focus was to discuss our current conservation efforts for the species, why the turtles are facing a population decline, and how their organization can aid in their conservation...
On September 20th, The Turtle Conservancy joined local demonstrations in California, Washington DC, Berlin and New York City to participate in the Global Climate Strikes—a worldwide mobilization of an estimated four million people in over 160 countries. The youth-led demonstrations aimed to call out governments for their lack of urgency in addressing the climate crisis—and to cultivate a movement demanding an equitable transition to renewable energy...
The tortoises of the genus Manouriaare the oldest forms of tortoises living today. These living dinosaurs include the Asian Giant Tortoises and the Impressed Tortoise. The Turtle Conservancy manages both of these species at our southern California Conservation Center, and this past month we were very excited to get large clutches of eggs from our tortoises...
