Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sea Turtle Patrol visited Temple Beth Sholom Schools’ (TBS Schools) summer camp this week to teach two-, three- and four-year-old campers about sea turtle safety. The visit coincided with TBS Schools’ “Wonderful World of Water” camp session.
Mote Marine Lab volunteer and member of its speaker’s bureau Tommy Vaughan-Birch brought along props and a book to teach the campers about several ways to help protect one of our most precious sea creatures in southwest Florida. Vaughan-Birch showed the campers how to smooth down the sand after a beach day for baby turtles who are entering the water, and brought along a stuffed turtle with a Velcro belly that opened up to show kids how plastic bags, fish hooks, bottle caps and soda wrappings can hurt sea turtles if eaten.
“We love taking the opportunity to teach our youngsters about ways to protect our ecosystem and our wildlife,” said Tommy Vaughan-Birch. “It’s important to lay this foundation at an early age so that children know what they are looking at when they see turtle habitats on our beaches. We applaud TBS Schools for taking this step in teaching their preschoolers about a crucial part of living in a gulf front community in Florida and we know these youngsters will grow into responsible adults with a vested interest in protecting our precious creatures,” she said.
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Fellow Mote Marine Lab volunteers Andy and Kim Rosebrock attended the learning session with their two-year-old daughter Alexis, who attends TBS Schools. “Alexis has helped us patrol the beach for turtle tracks since she was a baby, and we are so pleased that her camp mates are getting this hands-on education. We feel it is vital knowledge for children who live near our beautiful beaches,” said Kim Rosebrock.
The “Wonderful World of Water” portion of the summer camp runs for two weeks and is part of a seven-week summer curriculum open to students of all faiths.
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About TBS Schools
Temple Beth Sholom (TBS), a Sarasota Preschool to 8th grade private school, is open to all faiths and established its Preschool program in 1974. TBS Schools has been in its current building located at 1050 S. Tuttle Avenue, Sarasota, Florida 34237, since January 1988. The Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool program consists of classes for Baby Play and children up to four years of age. The Goldie Feldman Academy (GFA) was founded in 1992 as an expansion of the Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool. It has continued to grow and flourish under the careful guidance of our administration, dedicated teachers, volunteer leadership, staff, and the demand for excellence from our parents. At GFA, we nurture the whole child as one who is capable of an infinite amount of possibilities. Our caring and qualified staff is committed to helping each student reach his/her full potential. The Goldie Feldman Academy at Temple Beth Sholom is the only private Jewish school in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Justin Lee Wiesner Preschool is accredited by Florida Kindergarten Council. Goldie Feldman Academy is accredited by the Florida Kindergarten Council and the Florida Council of Independent Schools. For more information go to www.tbsschools.org.
