Saving turtles through folk literature

Ludimila Costa Justino, age 18, is a high school student in a small town of Caravelas in Bahia, Brazil. She sees conservation of biodiversity through a different and unique perspective. She expressed to her fellow friends and community the importance of conserving turtles and their nesting habitats through a Brazilian folk literature called Cordel. Cordel literally means "string literature". It dates back to the 18th century and is still in use in the Northeastern states of Brazil.

During my visit to her school as a part of our Marine Conservation Without Borders program in October 2014, I gave a talk on students’ initiation and participation in day to day outreach activities that would lead to long term conservation efforts. I explained to them the importance of living in harmony with how they could play an important role as students of biology and become future marine conservationists.

I also showed them a comic strip "Turtle Times", that I had created for raising awareness of threats to nesting turtles on the coastline of India. On viewing my comic strip, Ludimila got very inspired and wrote a Cordel poem in Portuguese and she read it out to me. This was the most satisfactory feeling I have ever had. I felt like a mission accomplished as I could touch deep into the minds of students and also bring out the creativity in them. I realized that these little exchanges will remain in the memory of these children always and at least few of them might take a similar initiative ahead to sensitize the common man and future generations.

It is very important to encourage children to understand biodiversity conservation at a young age so that they can make a long lasting impact for a sustainable future!

Ludimila wishes to pursue her futhur studies in Biology. She hails from a remote village and wants to be the first doctorate students in her family. She wishes to study in a good University in Brazil and is striving hard to fulfill her dream towards gaining a doctorate! She has big dreams to studying in a big city and come back to her village to serve her people and the society. I am so glad she has started early and wish her the best for her future!

Following is the lovely poem written by Ludimila in Portuguese followed by its English translation. I would like to thank Renata Pereira who is a Project Co-ordinator with Conservation Internation, Brazil and also a Duke Global Fellow 2014, for translating this wonderful piece of literature for us!

Tartarugas

Olha só as mamães tartarugas!

Agora saindo do mar

Vão andando rapidamente

Para os ovos lá deixar

Dentro de um buraco

Os ovinhos aquecidos estão

Irão nascer daqui a um tempo

E um dia para o mar vão

E para mal feitores

O alvo é a tartaruga

E como somos conscientizados

Elas precisam de nossa ajuda

Através de palestras, de peças e da boa ação

Vamos mostrar pras pessoas o dever da preservação

E para terminar

Faço uma apelação

Ajudem a preservar as tartaruguinhas

Que logo logo virão

-Ludimila Costa Justino

Turtles

Look at the mother turtles!

now living the ocean

they walk really fast

to drop their eggs

inside a hole

the eggs stay warm

they will crack soon

and go to the ocean

and for the bad people

turtles are a target

and as we are educated

they need our help

through lectures, plays and good actions

let’s show those people the duty of conservation

and to finish

I make a request

Help to protect the turtles

that soon will come

- Ludimila Costa Justino