Sea turtle education part of back-to-school agenda
- The San Juan Daily Star
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
By THE STAR STAFF
As part of the “Quiero Mi Escuela” (I Love My School) initiative, Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez, along with members of the non-profit organization Tortugueros del Sur, on Thursday offered children at María Libertad Gómez Elementary School in Utuado a detailed educational talk on the importance of protecting leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles and their nests.
“Our governor, Jenniffer González, created the ‘Quiero Mi Escuela’ initiative with the goal of making this 2026 back-to-school day different and memorable for students, parents, teachers, and other members of the school community,” the DNER secretary said. “That’s why we coordinated this unique educational talk for students, focused on teaching them all about these three turtle species (leatherback, hawksbill and green) and the actions being taken to protect them.”
Starting in the early morning, dozens of elementary school children participated in the discussion, which included actions to be taken for the conservation of the aforementioned species, including monitoring areas such as Ballena Beach in Guánica, and talks in schools and universities, among other initiatives.
“This is an initiative we will repeat [...] in all schools within the public education system,” Quiles said. “The children were very attentive to the information about these species; they are very interested in this topic.”
Meanwhile, DNER brigades also carried out tasks at the school, including rehabilitating green areas and exterior painting.