#environmentaleducation – Teachers Telling Tales

Murals for Conservation

Girl painting turtle mural. Sea walls. — Sea Walls Stories – Turtle Mural Painting with Atelier Aquatic by Fiona Childs

As 2019 slid into 2020, I was in the Philippines catching up with a friend, Anita. We met on a marine conservation training course several years ago and discovered we had a lot in common. We both had art degrees, were teachers and had made Bristol in the UK our home. Following the training, we stayed on to collaborate on a Sea Adventure School project involving a floating classroom!

A scouting trip for the Sea Adventure School project, Fiona (left), Anita (right)
photo by Neil Wilkinson Photography

Anita has since founded Atelier Aquatic , a Community Interest Company based in Port Barton, Palawan. The concept is to engage communities in marine life education and conservation bringing together science and art. I was eager to see how it was all going and to join with the Art on Barton project taking place in December.

I arrived just before Christmas to find turtle murals by local and international artists splashed around the village and was just in time to help out with a couple of paintings!

Turtle murals for Atelier Aquatic marine conservation project, Art on Barton. — A selection of some of the turtle murals created by local and international artists for Atelier Aquatic’s Art on Barton event, December 2019. Photos by Atelier Aquatic.

Why all the turtles?

Port Barton is known as the turtle capital of Palawan. The most popular activity is island hopping snorkel tours and the number one attraction is ‘Turtle Spot’. You can see green, hawksbill and occasionally olive ridley turtles in the region. In the past the village relied on fishing for survival, but with low stocks they now depend on tourism. As yet, it remains relatively undeveloped. Locals are aware of the pitfalls that mass tourism can bring from observing nearby places and are keen to manage Port Barton’s growth sustainably. They recognise and value the beauty of their home and natural resources. Turtles are of course, endangered and protecting them is of huge importance.

Turtle Workshop and Hatchling Mural

A local bar and restaurant, Villa Marguerita had asked for a mural on one of their walls. It’s a beautiful location, right by the beach with a grassy area alongside, so it was a perfect mural to involve local children with. Anita designed a mural that evokes the connection with people, the beach and turtles. She planned a workshop for children to be running alongside the mural painting.

While Anita prepared the mural, myself and other volunteers set up the turtle art area with good quality sketch paper, watercolour paints and lots of pictures of turtles for inspiration. It was great to see such a range of ages and the depth of concentration, perhaps after a while off school they were keen to have an activity to do! Through looking carefully at the photographs, discussions, then a quiz, there was lots of learning about turtles too. (quiz download)

Turtle workshop featuring a quiz and creation of art work, Atelier Aquatic Art on Barton project. Photos Fiona Childs and Atelier Aquatic.

The Biggest Threat and the Greatest Hope

It was really interesting to observe the process, I learned so much, from how to set it all up to ensuring the process goes smoothly and getting effective results. Some key takeaways:

Limit the palette to a few colours for more effective results
Add white to improve coverage and to create tints (so the colours work well together)
Use a stencil and spray paints for really great results that children will be proud of. They can personalise their part using a brush afterwards.
Have volunteers and an activity running at the same time so the number of children working on the mural is manageable.
Running the painting and workshop in a public place is a great way to get people interested in what you’re doing.

You can download a document with photos, steps and tips for painting a mural with children.

A not so idyllic painting site!

Turtle mural for Art on Barton event by Atelier Aquatic, Port Barton, Palawan, Philippines. — Art on Barton, Atelier Aquatic, photos Fiona Childs

Having painted the hatchling mural in such a gorgeous spot, this one was not as idyllic, but I learned a lot and it ended up looking great so good to share! It was right next to a ditch with uneven, slightly squelchy ground and as it got dark enough to use the projector, the mosquitoes came out to see what we were up to! Every time a car, motorbike or person passed you had to pause in painting, but, again, it aroused a lot of curiosity and gave us the opportunity to talk about the project with locals and tourists.

Anita showed us a really quick and efficient way to paint an image onto a wall using a projector. We used the same technique of adding white to the paint to make it cover well. Rollers made the background really quick to do, (a cardboard box from a local shop made a perfect paint tray), and they were really good for getting a good circle edge for this design.

A big thank you to Anita and Atelier Aquatic for such an enjoyable stay and sharing your expertise. If you would like to volunteer with Atelier Aquatic, they offer a four week programme or a shorter option to gain Reef Check Eco Dive certification. Check the website or email Anita anita@atelieraquatic.org for more information.

Further Reading:

I interviewed Anita about Atelier Aquatic for Gaia Discovery.

Books About Turtles:

Check out the Teachers Telling Tales recommended reads.

Turtles Teaching Resources:

Interactive story activity Turtles in Trouble

Chase and tag active game Turtles in Danger

Story and information books on sea turtles

Sea turtles are such fascinating creatures, it’s no wonder they have inspired so many engaging books for children both fiction (tales) and non fiction (truths).

Reading turtle tales or truths can spark wonder about the oceans in the minds of children. Because turtles are endangered, their plight can inspire youngsters into becoming ocean heroes.

Here are some recommended books on sea turtles. Unless stated, the books are available on Amazon and links take you there to find out more. Teachers Telling Tales are not affiliates and recommend supporting local, independent book stores where possible.

Learning about Life Cycles, for younger readers

The Smallest Turtle (Picture Hippo): Written by Lynley Dodd, 1991 Edition, (New edition) Publisher: Scholastic [Paperback]

The tale of a baby turtle and his journey down the beach to the sea.

Part of the Nature Storybooks series, this picture book combines story with information to show how one tiny sea turtle grows before she heads back to the beach to become a mother herself.

The classic turtle picture book with over 2 million copies sold! Opening simply in the baby sea turtle’s voice: “I’m coming Mama, I’ll see you soon, I know just how, I’ll follow the moon.” Celebrating the love between mother and child and proceeds from sales support turtle conservation.

From the moment it hatches from its shell through its journey across an ocean filled with wonders and dangers to its return to the beach where it was born to lay its own eggs, a female sea turtle’s life is one of survival.

Non fiction

Did you know turtles spend their entire lives travelling the ocean to find food and a mate? And they have a great sense of direction, returning to lay their eggs on the exact beach where they were born. This level 2 reader is great for independent research and discovery.

With inspiring photographs, children are given a well-rounded understanding of turtles’ anatomy, feeding habits, and behaviour in this information text.

Ocean Heroes

Six of seven species of turtle are endangered. These books help children understand why and provide hope through inspiring action for conservation.

Little Turtle Turns the Tide is the first children’s book by novelist and screenwriter Lauren Davies. Carrying a strong and positive environmental message, the book tells the story of Little Turtle, who finds himself swimming in an ocean of plastic debris. So he sets off on a journey to make a difference, with the help of his friends and the children of the world. Beautifully illustrated by Nico Williams, Little Turtle Turns the Tide will appeal to young children who love the ocean, and inspire them to be heroes.

Children will enjoy this inspiring story. Viv has a new home and a new school by the sea. Follow her as she finds her way in a new place and helps bring together a whole community to save the sea turtles of the South Carolina coast. Acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and author Deborah Hopkinson team up to offer a story of the powerful difference young people can make in the world.

The Tale of the Turtle and the Plastic Jellyfish (free download)

Nerin is a sea turtle who loves eating jellyfish. One day, she accidentally eats a plastic bag which puts her in a spot of bother. Luckily, Professor Penny, along with her canine friend, Wilson, is on hand to save the day! Professor Penny Stories are a series of children’s books written by staff and students of the University of Exeter’s College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

Myrtle’s Battle Against Climate Change (free download) Fuentes, M. (2010) Myrtle’s battle against climate change. Reef & Rainforest Research Centre Limited, Cairns, Australia (22pp.).

Myrtle’s Battle Against Climate Change is based on findings from PhD research. It explains what climate change is, how it affects turtles and what we can do in child-friendly text and pictures.

An empowering read for older readers about how one person can make a real difference. It’s time to save the turtles! Chellie loves the beautiful green turtles on her tropical island home, especially since their scientific name is so close to her own. Every year she would watch them swim in the sea and make their long journeys up the beach to lay their eggs. But one day, Chellie makes a grim and horrible discovery – the rubbish pollution is threatening her beloved turtles, so she is forced to act. Can she save them before it is too late?

Do you have any favourite turtle books not included here? Please add them in the comments.

For turtle related resources check out the Teachers Telling Tales shop on tes.com or the Teachers pay Teachers store.

Tag: #environmentaleducation

Sea Walls Stories