World Turtle Day!

I have always loved turtles! In fact, I even trained to be a turtle rehabilitator. Have you wondered about the difference between turtles and tortoises? Well, both are reptiles that belong to the order Tesdunes, but they fall into different classification families. A major difference, and easy way to tell them apart, is that turtles live in or near the water and tortoises live on land.

I have swam with sea turtles and walked among giant tortoises, but you don't have to go far to enjoy these special creatures. I bet that you can find some turtles out sunning themselves on a rock in your local pond. Most common of these are painted turtles. They are easy to spot since they live across North America.

If you are itching to know more about turtles, check out these books.  And for a look at sea turtles and giant tortoises read my latest BACK FROM THE BRINK!

Happy World Sea Turtle Day

Last year I spent time with sea turtles in the Galapagos, Florida Keyes, and Australia. What a treat!

One of the most amazing places I visited was the
Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys. This nonprofit organization rescues turtles that suffer from impactions, caused from eating things like balloons, boat strikes, and illnesses. I was so impressed with this organization that I donated a portion of my Authors for Earth Day April school visit proceeds to The Turtle Hospital to further their efforts.


Even though there are conservationists, veterinarians, marine biologists, and volunteers working at this place and others on behalf of the world's sea turtles, they are still under threat.

One major threat is gill net fishing. The long, near-invisible nets used with this method of fishing threaten many marine animals. They are used to catch swordfish, but they also trap whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. These creatures become by-catch and most often die without being released.

Proposed regulations would ban these nets for a period of up to two years, but the current administration is tossing out these regulations. That marks a serious blow for sea turtles and other marine life.

On this World Sea Turtle Day let's do something to help protect sea turtles around the world. Donate to sea turtle conservation, contact your officials, or learn about their species and plight.

Here are three favorite sea turtle reads to inform and enjoy on this World Sea Turtle Day!

Follow the Moon book and song by Sarah Weeks

Mission: Sea Turtle Rescue by Karen Romano Young & Daniel Raven-Ellison

Sea Turtle Scientist by Stephen R. Swinburne

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