What would you do if you found out one of your favorite animals was in danger? Would you sit back—or spring into action?
One amazing 6th grader at a local middle school decided to take action when she heard that box turtles living near her school were at risk. A new parking lot was being built, and the turtles' forest home was right in the path of the construction. But this student wasn’t new to turtles—she had already done a school project all about them and was part of a special turtle tracking club! In this club, students helped scientists by searching for and studying turtles around their school, as part of North Carolina’s Box Turtle Connection Project.
When the teacher leading the club told her about the construction, the student knew she had to help. So, one morning, she joined a small team—including a few teachers, a dog specially trained to sniff out turtles, and me, Alexis, from Champions for Wildlife—and we all headed into the woods by the construction site. Our mission? To carefully search the forest floor for any box turtles and move them to a safe place until construction was finished. After lots of walking, looking, and listening, the team found a turtle—and safely helped it out of harm’s way!
Box turtles may be small, but they are super important to the environment. They help spread seeds, eat insects, and keep forest ecosystems healthy. Plus, they can live for over 50 years! That’s why it’s so important to protect them—and why we’re so proud of this student’s big heart and brave action.
Want to be a Wildlife Champion too? You don’t have to wait for a big construction project to help animals. You can make a difference by learning about wildlife in your community, sharing what you know, helping clean up nature trails, or planting native plants in your yard. Every small action helps protect animals and their homes. Just like this turtle-saving student, you have the power to speak up and help our wild neighbors thrive! Do you have a wild ambassador story to tell? Submit it here!
What wild animal would you help protect?
