EDUCATIONAL PUBLIC AWARENESS EXHIBITS AND PRESENTATIONS

Environmental education in our school system needs to be enhanced, particularly involving outdoor fieldtrips and hands on environmental experiences.  This has been a primary focus of Kids For Turtles. 

 In 2006, we made approximately ten presentations, through events such as the Orillia Canada Day Festival and the Orillia Perch Festival.  During the summer of 2007, we conducted 59 outreach and education programs in partnership with Sciensational Snakes using live snakes and turtles and by hiring two students who delivered these presentation and programs with the assistance of several volunteers.

These functions are at community events, schools and associations etc. with an estimated combined attendance of over 70,000 people. Examples are Orillia Turf’n and Surf’n Waterfront Festival (financial support from the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area), Orillia Perch Festival Kid’s Day, local fall fairs, Barrie Kempenfest, Every Day Is Earth Day with David Suzuki at Barrie North Collegiate, Mother Earth Day (Couchiching Conservancy), Mother Earth Day Powwow at Rama Mnjikaning First Nations, Sparrow Lake United Church Camp, Carden Nature Festival, Kirkfield Lift Lock for their Centennial Celebration, Six Mile Lake Cottager’s Association, Orillia Native Women’s Association, Orillia YMCA Day Camp, Ministry of Natural Resources Land Stewardship event, Mara Provincial Park, Washago Community Centre and many more.

We also conducted classroom presentations about snakes and turtles at local schools. Kids For Turtles have a high success rate with their programs and now want to expand into education of other creatures within ecosystems.