Turtle Talk: PRA Group Brings a Slow and Steady Guest Lecturer to Elementary School Students at the Virginia Aquarium
Some subjects are best approached in a classroom with textbooks and notebooks. Other areas of education, like environmental science and marine biology, are better suited to a hands-on experience, like exploring a turtle’s habitat. Recently, PRA Group made it possible for elementary school students to learn about marine wildlife not only from their teachers, but also from a Diamondback Terrapin at the Virginia Aquarium.
During the presentation, nearly 100 kindergarteners learned where various kinds of turtles live, what they eat, how they survive, and how human beings can better interact with and protect these reptiles. They also had a bubble dance party to encourage the use of bubbles over balloons, which turtles commonly mistake for food, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“It was a wonderful experience, and we look forward to doing it again next year! All the children were engaged. They loved it and kept talking about the turtle throughout the course of the day! We were recalling things we can do in our environment to help keep our turtle friends safe and healthy,” said a Richard Bowling Elementary School representative.
The Diamondback Terrapin students interacted with is vulnerable, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Lessons about how we can better protect threatened species are especially timely as we recognize National Environmental Education Week and look forward to Earth Day on April 22. By exposing students to these reptiles and fostering awareness from a young age, Virginia Aquarium is doing critical work toward its goal of preserving the environment through sustainable practices and conservation efforts, which you can read about here: https://www.virginiaaquarium.com/research-and-conservation/action
This “Turtle Talk” was part of an ongoing partnership between PRA Group and The Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center that provides virtual and in-person education programs to the Norfolk, Hampton and Danville school systems. At PRA Group, we are proud to support the Virginia Aquarium and other educational opportunities in Virginia and around the world. We look forward to creating even more memorable and meaningful experiences in the future. Until then, enjoy these pictures from the “Turtle Talk.”
About PRA Group
As a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, PRA Group, Inc. returns capital to banks and other creditors to help expand financial services for consumers in the Americas, Europe and Australia. With thousands of employees worldwide, PRA Group companies collaborate with customers to help them resolve their debt. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com.
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