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Turtle Fest…a success

On Saturday, December 13th the first ever Turtle Fest was held at the plaza in the Village of Emilano Zapata (just next to Punta de Mita) in Riviera Nayarit. Children from the schools of Punta de Mita, Emiliano Zapata, Higuera Blanca, and La Cruz de Hunacaxtle participated in the after school program (PeaceMexico education programs) and made drawings and learned all about the ecology of turtles on our beaches. Special food from around the world showing how far the turtles can travel (India, Japan) was for sale along with beverages. The Plaza was decorated with the children's pictures, and posters from Semarnat with information about species, life cycles, nesting, endangerment surrounded the structure. Games for all who attended were staffed by the children. These included: 1) a table where people put on diving flippers and googles, and learned to swim like turtles; 2) a table where people learned to navigate to and from a point without a compass, like turtles do; 3) a table where people could feel the paper mache' shells made, and worn, by the children, to learn about the different types of turtles. Money raised by the children at this event will go to the Litibu Turtle Project. The children came to Litibu and learned from the biologist here. It is the hope that these children will grow up to become turtle protectors, and they will teach their parents and extended families about the turtles.

One of the posters made by the children and decorating the kiosko at the plaza said in English "we like to learn about the turtles and will try not to eat their eggs." Another poster had these words: "turtles live to be 200, if we help save them.” Education in action. Learning conservation, english, biology, and charity. Awesome event. Many thanks go to the many adult volunteers, high school students from CEMAT (a conservation group) and teachers who participated.

http://grupoecologicolitibu.blogspot.com