The Sea Turtle Story
How the neice of an Ultimate player from North Bay
[Joanna Quarry (McNutt)] is making a difference in this world
By JeNNifer McNUtt Bywater
Between 15-30 years of age sea
When Hannah Bywater was 6-years- turtles come to the beach to lay
old she decided she wanted to make a their eggs in the sand. Typically,
difference. they return to the very beach
As a Christmas gift in 2006 she received where they were hatched to lay
a small stuffed sea turtle from the World their own eggs. One problem,
Wildlife Foundation. Her aunt & uncle contributing to the decline of the
made donations in the names of all their sea turtle population, was the
nieces & nephews and the stuffed animals fact that the locals were digging
were tokens for the animal they were up the eggs to sell as food in the
helping to save. Her animal was a sea market or for their families to eat. To offset sanctuary first hand and to hand deliver
turtle that she named “Splash”. egg losses from this practice, a sea turtle the $305 she had saved. She and the turtle
During our annual buying trip that sanctuary and hatchery were established. sanctuary staff were thrilled that a 7-year-
winter to Bali, Indonesia, we told Hannah The first step was for the sanctuary to pay old could do this all on her own initiative!
of a sea turtle sanctuary we had visited in the locals for the eggs so the hatchlings She was so excited too and she exclaimed,
Pemuteran in Northern Bali many years could be nurtured and then released. In ‘well, next year when I come I’m going to
earlier. We explained to her that a sea this way these turtles are rescued and give you double!”
turtle sanctuary had been established hopefully will help save the species from When we left that day we had to explain
to try to help save the sea turtles there. extinction. to Hannah how much $610 was and
This story proved to be a turning asked what ideas she had to raise such
point for Hannah. an amount. After some brainstorming
When we returned to Canada and we came up with an idea. We made
time came for Hannah’s 7th birthday arrangements with one of the local Bali
party celebrations she announced carvers with whom we do business with
that she did not want any birthday for our importing business in North Bay.
presents. (I’m not sure if you have We asked him to carve some beautiful
children but this is definitely not a wood turtles using a locally harvested
common thing for a young child to wood. The turtle is similar in size to a baby
do!) Instead, she told us if her friends turtle when it is released on its journey to
wanted, they could donate money the open ocean. We purchased 100 turtles
towards saving the turtles. The and thought if she sold them for a $5.00
parents who received the birthday donation she could raise $500 that way.
invitation with this request were so She could raise the rest doing odd jobs
impressed they gave generously to for mom, perfect! We expected friends
start Hannah’s fund raising project. and family to buy the turtles of course
Hannah also started two jars and however customers, strangers - basically
would put half of her allowance each anyone who heard what Hannah was
week into the turtle jar. She would do doing wanted to support the project and
odd jobs to make a few extra dollars bought a turtle. Before long we’d sold out
and would always share the money of the initial turtles and we had to have
with the turtles. more carved. This kept happening and by
When we returned to Bali in Jan the end of the year she had raised over
2008, Hannah was able to travel up $2,000!!
to the northern part of the island Last year we traveled back to the sea
for the first time to see the turtle turtle sanctuary and she hand-delivered
Ultimate Canada Magazine — www.canadianultimate.com
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