Hi, Earth Rangers! My name is Gerardo. I’m nine years old. I live in Nicaragua, the biggest country in Central America. That’s the part of the world between Mexico and South America. It’s a place full of tall volcanoes, lush rainforests, and sandy beaches on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. You can swim in one and snorkel in the other!
I’m a member of the Sea Turtle Education Protection Program. This year, when you adopt a sea turtle from Earth Rangers, you’re helping my friends and I look after these tiny turtles and protect the beaches and oceans that they call home!
Are you ready to make a difference? Just visit the adoption section in the Earth Rangers App or check out the Earth Rangers Shop to adopt your own sea turtle!
Taking Care of Turtles
I live on a beautiful beach called Playa Salinas Grande. That’s a Spanish name! Here’s how you pronounce it, along with what the words mean in English!
Playa – pronounced PLY-uh – Beach
Salinas – pronounced suh-LEEN-us – Salt Flats
Grande – pronounced GRAWN-day – Big
Sea turtles love to lay their eggs on Playa Salinas Grande. They come onto the shore to dig their nests in the moist sand. The sand keeps the eggs nice and warm, which helps the baby turtles grow inside their shells. Plus, the layers of sand keep the eggs safe from pesky predators! When it’s time to hatch, the baby turtles scuttle across the sand into the ocean, swimming off with all their siblings!
But not all of these baby turtles make it safely to the sea. They face many dangers. When people leave trash on the beach, baby turtles can get caught in the garbage. They can also get trapped in fishing nets.
Plus, predators aren’t the only ones who think turtle eggs are delicious. Some people like to eat these eggs, too! This makes sense: Turtle eggs have been a traditional source of food in my community for a long time. Many people also live in poverty, so they don’t have much money to buy groceries. But it’s against the law to harvest these eggs or eat them, because almost every species of sea turtle is endangered.
That’s why I joined the Sea Turtle Education and Protection Program. Here’s how my friends and I are taking care of turtles!
1. We Keep the Beaches Clean
It’s too easy for sea turtles to get caught in people’s trash. My friends and I patrol the beaches in Salinas Playa Grande to pick up litter. We also learn how to throw out our own garbage properly, and we teach other people to do the same thing!
2. We Watch Over Turtle Eggs
We learn how to recognize turtle nests on the beach, and we work to keep them safe. Plus, we take care of turtle eggs in hatcheries: these large bags of warm, moist sand that provide the perfect place for baby turtles to grow big and strong inside their eggs. When they’re ready to hatch, we release them onto the beaches!
3. We Study Science
Learning about nature through the Sea Turtle Education and Protection Program has helped me get great grades in science at school! And I’ve had so much fun with my friends in after-school activities like this one: Look at our cool turtle masks!
4. We Help Turtle Hatchlings Reach the Ocean
Watching them crawl toward the waves was an amazing moment. I knew that all our hard work had paid off! By protecting their beaches and keeping their oceans clean, we’re helping sea turtles survive for years to come.
Do you want to save sea turtles too?
Adopt a sea turtle to support Gerardo and his friends!
