Last year my kids came home from school wanting to buy a turtle t-shirt. The school had put on a presentation about turtle hatcheries in the area needing support. Each year they release turtles back into the ocean and if you buy a t-shirt you get to "sponser" a turtle. We didn't buy any last year and the kids were very dissappointed.
This year the assembly was even more impressive. Even my preschooler came home sad that so many turtles needed our help. I made a deal with the kids. If they did some extra chores, I would pay them and they could buy the t-shirt themselves.
Kierstin came home with a "Letter to the Parents" last week. I noticed two things. The first, the price of the t-shirts had gone up. Second, the following: "We...are fundrasing to help support the sea turtle hatcheries on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. The hatcheries obtain a percentage of the eggs from the poachers who take the eggs to sell at various markets."
Did you catch that? The school raises money, gives it to the hatcheries who then buy the eggs from poachers! Don't you think that is facilitating the problem?
Again, we are not buying t-shirts.
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4 comments:
You should make your kids t-shirts to wear to school that say something like, "Save the turtles by NOT sponsoring a turtle."
Hi, this is Lisa. I saw your comment on Kathleen's blog and followed it. I hope it's okay I found you.
That is crazy that the hatcheries are buying eggs from the poachers. Crazy.
You should definately make some turtle shirts for the kids.
Third world environmental problems are mind boggling difficult to solve. The poaching is prevalent in every developing country; illegal activity accounts for huge amounts of many country's GNP's. How much is lost by legitimate enterprise is unknown because it is hard to say what is legit and what is not because the corruption is so widespread. Find a cause you CAN support and get some different turtle shirts. Though good luck explaining to your kids why you won't buy the school ones. . .
Sorry this isn't an opinion on activism.... but... was I with you when you bought those dresses in that picture?? They are just so darling!!! :)
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