The Girl and the Sea Turtle Nest

The Girl and the Sea Turtle Nest - Author : Aysel Banu YAVUZAL

Mia loved the beach near her home. She loved the warm sand between her toes and the salty wind in her curly black hair. Every morning she ran to the shore, her red sandals flip- flopping on the path. She dreamed of seeing a sea turtle up close. 'Maybe today,' she whispered to the waves. 'Maybe today I'll find one.' 1

One sunny morning, Mia saw a group of people in bright shirts near the dunes. A tall woman with long black braids waved at her. 'Hi! I'm Rosa. We're volunteers with the sea turtle conservation program.' Mia's dark brown eyes grew wide. 'Sea turtles? Here?' Rosa smiled. 'Yes! They nest on this beach. Would you like to join us?' Mia nodded so fast her curly puffs bounced. 2

Rosa gave Mia a green volunteer cap and a small canvas bag. 'Welcome to the team,' she said. Mia pulled on the cap and grinned, her gap-toothed smile showing. She wore her favorite yellow T-shirt with the green turtle print. 'I'm ready!' she said. 'When do we see the baby turtles?' Rosa laughed gently. 'First, let's learn about the nests.' 3

Rosa showed Mia a fenced area in the sand. Small wooden stakes and yellow tape marked the spot. 'This is a sea turtle nest,' Rosa explained. 'A mother turtle came ashore at night and laid her eggs here.' Mia peered through the tape. 'I don't see anything,' she said. 'The eggs are buried deep in the sand,' Rosa said. 'They need time to hatch.' 4

A young man with sandy blond hair and sunburned cheeks jogged over. 'Hey, Rosa! Who's our new helper?' He wore an orange volunteer T-shirt and carried a clipboard. 'Sam, meet Mia,' Rosa said. Sam grinned a lopsided grin. 'Welcome! I'm on visitor duty today. Want to help me talk to people about the nests?' Mia nodded. 'But I want to see the turtles!' Sam laughed. 'Patience, little turtle friend. Patience!' 5

Sam handed Mia a small stack of flyers. 'Your job is to remind visitors to keep the beach safe and quiet,' he said. 'Turtles need dark, calm nights.' Mia took the flyers. 'Safe and quiet,' she repeated. She looked at the nest again. 'But when will they hatch?' Sam clipped his whistle to his cord. 'Soon, maybe. We just have to wait and watch.' 6

Mia walked along the beach with Sam. She spotted a family with a big picnic basket. 'Excuse me,' she said, her voice a little shy. 'Please keep the beach quiet and take your trash with you. Sea turtles nest here.' The mother smiled. 'Thank you for telling us! We'll be careful.' Mia felt a warm feeling in her chest. 'That was easy!' she said. 7

Next, Mia saw a boy digging a deep hole near the dunes. 'Hey!' she called. 'Please don't dig there. That's where sea turtles might lay eggs.' The boy looked surprised. 'Really? I didn't know.' He filled the hole back in. 'Sorry!' Mia smiled. 'That's okay. Now you know!' Sam gave her a thumbs-up. 'You're a natural, Mia!' 8

But as the days passed, Mia grew restless. She checked the nest every morning. 'Still nothing,' she sighed. 'When will the babies come?' Rosa knelt beside her. 'Sea turtle eggs take about sixty days to hatch,' she said. 'We can't rush nature. Wildlife protection requires patience.' Mia frowned. 'Sixty days is a long time.' Rosa nodded. 'It is. But it's worth the wait.' 9

Mia tried to be patient. She helped Sam talk to more visitors. She reminded people to turn off bright lights at night. She picked up trash on the beach. But every evening, she asked Rosa, 'Any sign of the babies?' Rosa always shook her head. 'Not yet. Keep watching and learning.' Mia sighed. 'Patience is hard,' she said. 'It is,' Rosa agreed. 'But it makes the reward sweeter.' 10

One warm night, Mia was walking near the nest with Rosa and Sam. The moon was bright and the air was still. Suddenly, Mia heard a tiny sound. Scratch, scratch, scratch. She froze. 'Did you hear that?' she whispered. Rosa held up her hand. 'Listen.' Sam clicked on his red flashlight. 'Something's happening!' Mia's heart beat fast. 11

The sand above the nest began to move. Tiny heads popped up, one by one. Baby sea turtles! They were no bigger than Mia's palm. 'They're hatching!' Mia gasped. She wanted to cheer and jump, but she remembered what she had learned. She stayed quiet and still. 'Let's keep the beach calm,' she whispered. 'They need to find the sea.' 12

Rosa turned off all white lights and used only a soft red glow. 'The babies follow the moonlight to the water,' she explained. 'We mustn't confuse them.' Mia watched the tiny turtles scramble across the sand. Their flippers flapped fast. 'Go, little turtles, go!' she cheered softly. Sam smiled. 'You did it, Mia. You helped protect them.' 13

One by one, the baby turtles reached the waves. Mia felt proud. 'They made it!' she whispered. Rosa put a hand on her shoulder. 'Because you helped keep the beach safe and quiet. And because you were patient.' Mia looked up at Rosa. 'Patience was hard,' she said. 'But you were right. It was worth the wait.' 14

The next morning, Mia wore her green volunteer cap and her yellow turtle T-shirt. She walked along the beach with Sam. 'Did you see the babies last night?' a little girl asked. Mia nodded. 'Yes! And guess what? If we keep the beach safe and quiet, more will hatch soon.' The girl smiled. 'I want to help too!' Mia beamed.