Inspiring Story

Releasing a turtle back into the wild maybe isn’t something that is new and interesting.  However, if it is an act that is carried out secretly, as a ‘covert op’, by two young children, it becomes a tale of interest. 

 Edmo and Bery (pictured above), two students from SD GMIM Alungbanua, one of the target schools in which the Environmental Education Organization “Bintang Laut” runs its program, were the enactors of the aforementioned rescue mission.

 In the Bintang Laut program, children in target schools study many ways in which to preserve the coastal and marine ecosystems in which they live… it was because of this that these students took what the felt to be the obvious and correct course of action when they were faced with the following dilemma… 

One day in Alungbanua, the children’s village, there was to be a small celebration.  Our two ‘eco-heros’ saw that there was a sea turtle which was waiting to be prepared for the evening meal.  Upon seeing this, Edmo and Bery secretly freed the rope which held the turtle captive and carried him to the safety of the sea.  At this point they disappeared from the scene.

Later in the afternoon, a few of the ladies whom were gathered ready to cook began to look for the turtle.  When the women were unable to find the meat for their feast, more people joined in the search for the missing meal.  In the end the search party realized that the turtle had been released by Edmo and Bery.

The villagers couldn’t be angry with the two students because they realized that freeing the sea turle was something that had been instilled in Edmo and Bery in their Marine Environmental Education lessons, and was, in fact, for the best in the long-run.

This true story may become motivation for all children, and of course also adults, especially in coastal communities, that conservation of coastal and marine species and ecosystems constitutes something very important for future sustainability.  This tale is certainly inspiration for Bintang Laut to continue, and expand, their program, as they see tangible results in behaviour change in the communities in which they teach. 

The sea turtle is one of Indonesia’s protected species – its population is still in decline, and its future is not yet stable.  Every small step helps.