GREEN!

Johnny and Bryce met in September 2007, while in the
fourth grade at their school in Bergen County, NJ. They
found that they have a lot in common such as caring for
animals and outdoor sports such as skiing, cycling and
rock climbing. They both had also been aware of the
increasing number of news stories about climate change,
endangered animal species and the need for people to
increase their recycling efforts. It wasn't long before they
decided they wanted to start a movement in their school
and hometown to lessen the impact that they, their
classmates and teachers, and their neighbors were having
on the environment.

GREEN! was started with the focus on researching specific
topics and presenting new information to school
administrators and teachers and to the community leaders
with suggestions of specific initiatives to acheive through
projects and programs designed for kids to participate.

For example, they researched paper use, waste and
recycling and made their first goal to have their school -
home communications printed on both sides of the paper.
They presented their ideas to their classmates with a
petition to sign and then to their Principal and PTO
President and...

Mission accomplished!

This is a picture of how much paper their school will save
a year now that they have adopted this new practice:

Cheer on JK Turtling here!

Hillside Elementary School is sponsoring a turtle in
the Great Turtle Race II. A joint effort between
GREEN! and HES student council will bring the
conservation event to 600 students and their
families.

Starting today, eleven leatherback turtles
equipped with satellite tags begin their race
across the Pacific Ocean from nesting beaches in
Indonesia and feeding areas along the U.S. West
Coast toward the International Dateline. The
Great Turtle Race II, brings together the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists,
local schools Drexel University, Haddonfield High
School (NJ) and Hillside Elementary (Closter, NJ),
and other academic institutions and conservation
groups to unite students from both sides of the
Pacific in a global bid to save the critically
endangered leatherback turtle.

The eleven sponsored turtles have been equipped with satellite tags and
are "racing" toward the International Dateline (or the middle of the Pacific
Ocean) from nesting beaches in Indonesia and feeding areas along the
U.S. West Coast. The leatherback is a 100 million-year-old massive sea
turtle that outlived the dinosaurs but is now dangerously close to
extinction. Leatherback numbers in the Pacific Ocean have decreased from
about 115,000 two decades ago to fewer than 5,000 today. This online
event will raise funds to protect leatherback turtle-nesting areas in
Indonesia and raise awareness about what individuals can do to help
protect sea turtles in our daily actions.

Photos: Scott Benson

James Spotila, president of the Leather back Trust and Drexel professor,
said "This Olympic-like event joins scientists, conservationists and
educators in China, Indonesia and the Unites States in an effort to inform
children and adults about the turtles while they enjoy another exciting
race. The school children of the United States and the school children of
China will cheer on their turtles and, in doing so, promote friendship."

We brought the idea of participation in the Great Turtle Race to their
school, Hillside Elementary School in Closter, NJ. On naming the Hillside
turtle, Johnny explains, "JK Turtling is the perfect name for this strong
female leatherback because JK Rowling is a hero of mine. Her characters
use magic, she has the magic touch when it comes to writing and these
magnificent turtles need some magic to come off the critically endangered
list!"

Race fans will have a chance to choose a favorite turtle to cheer during the
race at www.GreatTurtleRace.com. Throughout the race, viewers can
follow each turtle's journey across the Pacific and learn about the
obstacles it will face along the way-fishing lines and nets, plastic bags that
look like jellyfish (leatherbacks' primary food source), and many other
human-related hazards. Activities for fans include an interactive animation
of a leatherback's life, opportunities to ask questions, and sea turtle
educational curriculum for teachers.

"The Great Turtle Race is about sharing information on one of the most
amazing inhabitants of our Ocean, a Volkswagen Beetle-sized turtle that
has outlived the dinosaurs, with the public," said Mike Milne of the Sea
Turtle Restoration Project. "The race and the story it tells about
leatherback sea turtles give people a tangible reason to care about the
ocean. People respond to that."

As the leatherbacks surface to breathe every several minutes, satellite tags
transmit data such as location and water temperature to satellites in space,
which then transmit the data back down to computer servers in the U.S.
This data is combined with remotely-sensed information about sea surface
temperature, sea surface height, and more to build a comprehensive
understanding of leatherbacks' epic, trans-Pacific migrations. Scientists
and managers will be able to use this information on oceanography, animal
behaviors, and human pressures to develop innovative ways to conserve
leatherbacks and other sea turtles.

Eleven sponsors from America, China, and Indonesia will compete in the
Great Turtle Race II including: Drexel University, Indiana Purdue
University, Kalamazoo College, Offield Center for Billfish, Haddonfield High
School (NJ), Bullis Charter School (Los Altos, CA), and Hillside Elementary
School. International sponsors include the Chinese Academy of the
Sciences, the Children and Youth Science and Technology Center of the
China Association for Science and Technology, University of Papua, and
World Wildlife Fund Indonesia. The Great Turtle Race II is organized by
The Leatherback Trust, NOAA, Tagging of Pacific Pelagics, Sea Turtle
Restoration Project, Global Cause, and Drexel University.

Please check out the site and cheer on JK Turtling!
www.greatturtlerace.com

Race organizers:

Leatherback Trust www.leatherbacks.org
Tagging of Pacific Predators www.topp.org
Sea Turtle restoration Project www.seaturtles.org
Global Cause www.gcause.org