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