Youth for Olive Ridley Turtles

On the 24th of January'09, leaders and volunteers of Savers Sparsh accompanied about 10 enthusiastic students of premier B-School, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar on an exposure to one of the three crucial Olive Ridley turtles mass nesting spots in Orissa-- the Devi beach.

The visit began with a briefing and basic orientation session on Olive ridley turtles, their nesting behaviour and reasons for their tragic deaths on the nesting beaches.

The group moved on a 'Turtle walk' along the coastline and the beach for a death count of the Ridleys along with the volunteers of the local community involved in the process, and subsequently to observe and document the turtle behavior.

The group moved a little further in the sea and watched in awe at the sight of one of the greatest marvels of wildlife... the congregation of the Ridleys along the coastline.

They also documented the problem of trawling along the coastline and how they affected the turtles as well as fatally threatened their existence.

Our volunteers and the group collected photographic evidence of trawling in shallow water which is prohibited in this area.

The students took an opportunity to interact with the fishermen about their livelihood.

The group promptly engaged in beach cleaning, removing litter and carcasses along the beach.

After a round of sharing experiences of an enriching day, the group prepared an action plan to educate a greater number of youth and to carry forward the conservation activity for the critically endangered Olive Ridley Turtles.