Our Mission is to:
- Share the wonder of one of the world’s most ancient animals;
- Teach how turtles reflect the impacts of our daily actions and decisions;
- Empower informed decisions to improve the environment, such as reducing plastic use.
Facts About Turtles
Distinguishing Turtles
It is easy to confuse different types of turtles.
Sea Turtles have flippers instead of legs, and they cannot bring their head and flippers into their shell.
Land Turtles have legs and can pull their heads and legs inside their shell. They cannot swim.
Freshwater Turtles have legs, but webbed feet. They can swim, but cannot pull their head and legs into their shell.
For more information on turtles go to https://www.gumbolimbo.org/.
One Old Species!
Turtles are one of the oldest reptile species on earth. Turtles date back to as far as 220 million years ago. That’s during the early days of the dinosaurs! Today there are 365 species of turtle left. Unfortunately, many are highly endangered. Endangered means that the animal or plant is highly at risk disappearing forever! (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle)
Gentle Giants
Sea Turtles are BIG! Archelon, a big and ancient species, was a massive gentle giant weighing almost 5,000 lbs. Unfortunately, they are all extinct (extinct means they have all died out.). However the sea turtles today can still be very large. The Leatherback Sea Turtle can weigh as much as 2,000 lbs and measure 10 feet long!
What You Can Do to be Part of the Solution
Don’t take a single-use plastic bag.
Bring your own water bottle, plates, bowls, utensils and napkins to potlucks and picnics.
About
Turtle Rescue Club (TRC) was founded by Bodhi when he was four years old after he learned about the threats to the beautiful and majestic sea turtles while living on the coast of South Florida. TRC was inspired by the turtle experts at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, FL. According to the National Park Service, “all turtles are indicator species or sentinel species, which means that their abundance, distribution, and health in the ecosystem are reflective of environmental conditions.” TRC provides resources to inspire action to improve our environment on land and sea.