The Pawikan Conservation Center

Hello again, world!!! Welcome back to P.E.E.L. This is now our second blog and we are going to share our experiences at a recent field trip to the Pawikan (sea turtle) Conservation Center (PCC).

First and foremost, an introduction: Why did we have this field trip and why did we join? We had this field trip because it has become a tradition for the TLT sixth graders. Our Science teacher, who conducts the field trip, also comes with us. We joined this field trip because this is a once in a lifetime experience, and we wanted to spend time with each other. Moreover, we joined this field trip because it is the last one before we graduate.

Before the field trip, we expected to discover new things and have loads of fun while doing so. A day before the actual field trip, we felt so excited that some of us kept awake all night wondering what would happen during the field trip.

At the PCC, we expected to learn about the different types of sea turtles, why they are decreasing so fast, how PCC helps in their conservation, and how we, personally, could help as well.

The Pawikan Conservation Center is a small place in Bataan, Philippines, composed of a few staff members who aim to increase the number of sea turtles in the seas and oceans. One of the ways they seek to do this is by taking care of the eggs until they are ready for hatching and releasing into the sea.

At the end of the day, our expectations were not only met but even exceeded. We learned about the local species of sea turtles, and some fun facts about each of the species.

Let me now introduce you to the species of sea turtle that we met at PCC:

Common Name: Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea

Taxonomic Classification: 
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Cheloniidae
Genus: Lepidochelys
Species: L. olivacea

Here's a picture of the Olive Ridley:

                                               
                                                                  (Olive Ridley)

The Olive Ridley has an interesting diet. It is an omnivore, but during the earlier stages of its life it's primarily carnivorous. As it grows older, the Olive Ridley begins to consume more plants, and so becomes more herbivorous. Some of the things it eats are jellyfish, tunicates, sea urchins, bryozoans, bivalves, snails, shrimp, crabs, rock lobsters, and sipunculid worms. On the other hand, its predators include raccoons, coyotes, ghost crabs, and opossums.

The reason we chose to tell you about this animal is that it is the smallest of all the sea turtles, and it is the species we met at the PCC. In fact, we didn't just meet the Olive Ridley, we even had the opportunity to help release forty hatchlings into the sea!

Our experience at PCC was nothing short of a blast. We had a lot of fun, but also became much more aware of these beautiful creatures in need of our help. We hope that through this post you, too, have been encouraged to do what you can to help protect the Pawikan.

That's all for now! 'Til the next post!




Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_ridley_sea_turtle