connecting with communities and schools

Activities like the National Nest Predation Survey (NNPS) and Nest Protection provide opportunities to engage local residents and schools, fostering a sense of local ownership. 

Physical protection of nests can effectively safeguard turtle nests. Nest protection activities promote scientific learning, community connections, environmental protection, and relationships with local agencies. Here's how NNPS and nest protection can inspire community conservation actions.

Engage local communities, including residents, volunteers, students, and organisations, in NNPS or Nest Protection during nesting seasons. Organise training days and citizen science groups with your agency staff, providing training on data collection techniques and survey protocols. 

The Turtle Nest Predictor Tool is another valuable resource for identifying potential nesting areas in your local area. One great activity that can be promoted in your community would be to help us ground truth this tool, which would require community members to visit various locations (turtle nesting hotspots shown in the nest predictor tool) in the local area, check for signs of turtle nesting and record habitat attributes into TurtleSAT. This process could further enhance the accuracy of the Turtle Nest Predictor Tool and make it even better. 

• Learn more about the National Nest Predation Survey
• Learn more about Nest Protection
• Learn more about the Turtle Nest Predictor Tool 

Reach out to local schools and educational institutions to engage students and teachers in NNPS or nest protection. Explore curriculum integration opportunities to provide students with hands-on learning experiences and nurture a love for nature and conservation. 

Need some inspiration or ideas? Contact us at 1millionturtlesprogram@gmail.com

Organise public events like workshops, seminars, and field trips to local wetlands or lakes to promote NNPS and nest protection to get your community and schools involved. These events provide platforms for sharing knowledge, presenting research findings, and inspiring active participation in turtle conservation.

TurtleSAT, accessible on desktop and mobile devices, serves as a national data collection tool and available for free. It accepts data from NNPS and nest protection efforts. Residents and schools can use TurtleSAT to record turtle sightings (dead or alive), nests (damaged or intact), nest protection efforts and data from the nest predation surveys. 

Agencies can create accounts to access any local data submitted in your area, and registered users can access all submitted data individually too.

In addition to the resources from the 1 Million Turtles program, consider creating custom educational materials like brochures, posters, and online resources tailored to your context. 

Use these materials to promote the importance of NNPS and nest protection, and guide local involvement, and leverage social media and your agency's website to share success stories, updates, and upcoming events.

This page is tailored for agencies actively engaged in fox management aligned with wildlife conservation initiatives