Turtles Fly Too partners with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to educate students and other non-profit organizations about the importance of general aviation to our society, and specifically, endangered sea turtle rescue operations.
Through Turtles Fly Too’s educational programs, participants have the opportunity to thoroughly examine a number of magnificently preserved specimens generously gifted by NOAA. This enables Turtles Fly Too to educate participants on sea turtle migration patterns, the factors that put them at risk for stranding, and ultimately how we can work together to conserve their species.
Sea Turtle Program 2018
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s (WSUCVM) Continuing Veterinary Medical Education Fall Conference in Pullman, WA, October 6-7, 2018, provided several hours of professional lectures on veterinary roles in conservation medicine to over 70 attendees. This included case studies of sea turtle mortality investigations, current threats and mitigation efforts and a unique laboratory session that had 22 Kemp’s Ridley specimens available, provided by Turtles Fly Too for practical sea turtle necropsy experience.
Veterinary Roles in Sea Turtle Conservation – Dr. Stacy
Veterinary Roles in Amphibian Conservation – Dr. Pessier
Sea Turtle Mortality Investigation – Dr. Stacy
Pilots and Sea Turtles: Endangered Species Helping Each Other – Leslie Weinstein
Sea Turtle Necropsy – Dr. Stacy
Utah State University (USU) located in Logan, Utah is in the process of outlining its sea turtle necropsy program and performed a necropsy in partnership with Turtles Fly Too on January 16, 2018. A Kemp’s Ridley was transferred to Dr. Briedi Gillespie, DVM for the necropsy.Timberline High School, Erin Stutzman’s APES course featured sea turtle necropsy on May 9, 2018, by Dr. Shackelford and Leslie Weinstein. Necropsy was recorded and televised by local TV Channel 6 https://www.kivitv.com/news/turtles-fly-too-offers-unique-educational-experience-at-boise-high-school.Utah State University, Arnaud Van Wettere DVM, MS, Ph.D., DACVP, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Pathology’s students completed additional necropsies on October 19, 2018, using eight (8) Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles received from NEAq.
Sea Turtle Program 2017
Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) located in Nampa, Idaho completed a necropsy on October 20, 2017, by Dr. Logan Belleque, DVM, and Dr. John Cossel Jr., Chair/Professor Biology Department. Pre-veterinary medical students were in attendance.The necropsy was live-streamed to Turtles Fly Too’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/turtlesflytoo/TF2 has partnered with the local USFWS representative Susan Kain on their programs in Boise, ID https://www.fws.gov/refuge/deer_flat/. Three of her staff participated in the necropsy program at Northwest Nazarene University.Moscow High School Environmental Club Sea Turtle Service-Learning Project, Moscow, ID, home of the University of Idaho. Moscow High was TF2’s first outreach program. The necropsy of a Kemp’s Ridley that TF2 supplied was completed on November 16, 2017, in the classroom by Dr. Janet Anders.
Classroom Education Programs:
