Community Outreach

In order to encourage these potential leaders to develop a sense of social responsibility, the Click Campers participated in one of several community service activities including cleaning up the beach, reading to kids in a local pre-school, working on programs to aid single mothers, painting a local mosque, and helping clean up at the turtle sanctuary. It sounds like all of the groups had a great time and there are plenty of photos of many of these activities at http://theclickcamp2010.blogspot.com/.

Turtle Sanctuary

I joined up with Group 2 (the best of all of the ten groups!) for their visit to the Turtle Sanctuary at Cherating Beach. We began by helping to tidy up around the place by picking up trash and pulling weeds from some of the flower beds. When it started to rain, it is the monsoon season on the eastern coast, we moved inside where we viewed a video about sea turtles, had a short briefing from the head of the sanctuary, and then we got to see the turtles!

Cleaning up the grounds!




Pulling Weeds- I must admit that it seems a little fruitless to pick weeds in a part of the world where plants want to grow up into rainforests! However, after a little dilligent work our part of the bed looked pretty good (and I think we did it with out pulling out too many of the non-weeds). Everyone was excited when Ambassodor Jones and his 14 year old daughter, Aleksandra, joined us while weeding. It was nice to chat with them a bit about what they think about Malaysia so far. Ambassador Jones had a busy morning. In addition to helping pull weeds at the Turtle Sanctuary, he also helped paint a surau, and read to pre-schoolers. Malaysians can be assured that the new Ambassador will not be afraid to get his hands dirty!



photo from theclickcamp2010.blogspot.com

Rhon's Dad is from New Jersey so she is the first Malaysian I have met with an American accent.


The Director of the Turtle Sanctuary told us about their work conserving turtles and educating the public.


There were two large tanks that held sea turtles for display to the public. We were unable to tour the rest of the sanctuary because of the weather.

A few of the larger turtles. All of the turtles in the Sanctuary are Green Turtles because that it is only species that lays eggs at the local beaches.


Ambassador Jones joins his wife and daughter in enjoying the sea turtles.




Baby Turtles
The highlight of our visit to the Turtle Sanctuary came when we were able to see the baby turtles that were ready to be released. We would have been able to have helped to release the babies if we were there in the evening when there are fewer predators actively feeding in the water. As it was, we all had a great time holding the baby turtles!

Baby turtles are so cute (oooooooohhhhhhhhh- that is supposed to be the sound you make when you see a puppy or baby turtles)!










They even let me hold them. You would be proud to know that I didn't drop them.



We thought that it was interesting that the tank that held the baby turtles was located in the room that also serves as the staff lunch room. I hope that none of the staff likes baby-turtle sandwiches!