2020: Another Step Forward
Steve Enders
Dear Friends,
This is not to say there were not setbacks resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our exciting new collaboration with African Chelonian Institute, Office Ivoirien des Parcs et Réserves, the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation, and the Abidjan Zoo to launch a new effort with Kinixys homeana (Home’s Hinge-back Tortoise) in Azagny National Park, Cote D’Ivoire was delayed by a year. The Spring season of our Pennsylvania Wood Turtle Population Monitoring project was canceled and planned trips to scout for future conservation and research projects were also postponed. The first major fundraiser we were planning in June, 2020 had to be canceled.
In our Education Department, we began developing a project in partnership with a school in Connecticut where students would learn about the biology, husbandry, and conservation of turtles and tortoises. We hope that as this project finishes development post-pandemic, that it can serve as a model for other similar partnerships. The development of educational content continued to grow in 2020 with an increased flow of blog content, educational social media content, and more episodes of The Pondcast produced in a single year than ever before in its history. Both on our blog, through our “Kudos To…” series, and on social media, through our “Turtle Conservation Warrior” campaign, we celebrated individuals who have impacted our lives and the field of turtle conservation and education. Also brand new in 2020 was an audio-only podcast titled Turtley Devoted, which focuses on the peculiarities of a life dedicated to turtles and its impact on those around us. Our Education team also grew in 2020, and we expect that to reap dividends in 2021, with more online content created in a single year than ever before at theTurtleRoom.
While we don’t yet know what impact the COVID-19 pandemic will play in 2021, theTurtleRoom is already planning for the development of new initiatives and new collaborations in all three of our departments: Education, Field Programs, and Animal Husbandry. Also in 2021, we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary and we plan to celebrate our 10 years of positive impact on turtles and tortoises through the entire 2021 calendar year!
We are excited to continue to have you by our side as we move forward together to conserve these beloved shelled creatures. To find other ways you can get involved with theTurtleRoom, please visit https://theturtleroom.org/get-involved. For questions about anything related to theTurtleRoom or its education and conservation efforts, please contact our President and Executive Director at [email protected].
With gratitude and celebration,
Steve Enders, President and Executive Director
Anthony Pierlioni, Vice President
Lisa Enders, Treasurer
Casey Leone, Secretary
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