Big Returns On Hardwork !

With the end of the turtle walk season on the charts, Organizations who have been a great sense of support for the “Save A Turtle” campaign are up here giving us an insight into the whole process of the sensitization campaigns and the long Turtle Walks on the beaches as a part of the awareness program. It’s now almost been full three months since we started talking about the Turtle initiative and it feels very good when people start responding from their side showing some social responsibility keeping the plastic bottles and polythene bags away from the beaches, it’s a welcome change truly.

When I went on to ask Hafiz, an experiential learning facilitator with the EZONE about the whole experience, he said he could see a difference with people who hit the beaches very often. When I prompted him about the whole process at the campaigns, he said it will start off with the screening of a turtle movie for ten minutes and then the volunteers will go ahead shooting out questions they have about turtles, the challenges they face and what people like them can do to for the environment, etc. Then comes the most interesting part, the photo session with the turtles and the volunteers get even happier when they get a feel of the baby turtles as well! There would also be a tattoo session at the end, Volunteers would be able to sport the “Save A Turtle” tattoo at their arms and advocate this initiative. Indeed a good move from EZONE towards a brighter tomorrow!

Akila, a volunteer from the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) said they have concentrated more on the Turtle Walks and it has been their mainstream awareness program but she also accepted that they also do awareness campaigns at schools. She went on to explain that volunteers who are a part of the Turtle Walk will start by 11:00 pm with their scout in the lead searching for turtle tracks and trails. The volunteers will then get themselves down with the relocation of the hatcheries with the same measurements as it was originally found at the beaches. The SSTCN are now a happy lot as it was quite a surprise for them at the Marina as they went on to collect 82 nests to the 30 they had collected last year. She said, it was simply a pleasant feeling and at the same time she realises that the responsibility has grown with an increase of the hatchlings and they had asked more volunteers to pitch in to have an eye on the hatchlings 24*7.

Now people really have to understand that turtles play a very important role in the marine ecosystem and the future generation indeed have a meaty role to play as responsible citizens!

For those who wish to do their bit for the society and some good to the endangered turtle species, here is your chance. Ring Hafiz @ 99401 42349 for Turtle Initiative campaigns at your corporate office and colleges or make the difference joining hands for Turtle Walks with SSTCN ringing Arun@ 9789864166 or Akila @ 9940300200.