Turtle Conservation Project 2021
My name is Katelyn Sentnor and I am currently a high school student in the graduating class of 2024. I grew up traveling the US with my family, specifically various National Parks, and have always loved to travel and explore nature.
I have also always loved helping others, so the thought of being able to help people and the world around me while I explored new destinations inspired me to look into Rustic Pathways.
While it is very difficult for me to choose my favorite nature destination, I am continually drawn to the ocean and marine life, so when I found the Turtle Conservation Trip to Costa Rica I knew it would be amazing.
I had never been to Costa Rica before and decided to book the trip on my own to meet new people who had the same passions as I do. I loved every moment of it and found it so amazing to be able to meet new people, learn about turtle conservation, and even get to know myself a little better.
One of my favorite moments from this trip was when I was able to see and hold a baby sea turtle before releasing it into the ocean. We had walked down to the beachfront and were standing next to the hatchery. We could see the counselors collecting and counting the baby turtles before bringing them out for us to see.
They were adorable, tiny, and ready to take on the world. We made a line in front of the water and each held a baby turtle in our hands. They were so cute and so full of life and hope. It was an amazing feeling that we were contributing to the life and future of these creatures.
I really loved being able to work with these amazing creatures and people and to learn about conservation. Being able to see the product of the work that we did made me even more passionate about marine life and environmental service.
I also became aware of how much our little actions can do if they are paired up with other people’s actions. From beach cleanups, to tree planting, to releasing baby turtles, we worked as a team. Not only did many hands make light work, but it made it more fun too!
New groups come to this refuge every two weeks and continue to carry out the previous tasks that were started and it makes such an amazing difference in the world we live in.