The Turtle Conservancy is excited to announce a new partnership with Nordhoff High School, funded by a generous grant from the John S. Kiewit Foundation. This month, students from Annelisa Cohen’s 11th-grade Environmental Science class visited our Ojai facility, marking the launch of S.T.E.P.—Students for Turtle Education and Preservation. This year-long program is designed to offer students hands-on conservation experience while exploring the critical roles turtles play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Throughout the year, we’ll continue hosting on-site lessons to build their ecological knowledge and field skills. By year’s end, the students will join us at our local research site to conduct field surveys for the threatened Southwestern Pond Turtle. We’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead, inspiring a new generation of conservationists!