Lasting Impressions

After spending a week working with leatherback sea turtles on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, I was surprised that the largest impact for me was not the scenery, but two dedicated young girls that I met along the way. This image was taken as they finished rescuing an entire nest of recently hatched leatherback sea turtles from overheating in the intense equatorial sun, calmly looking after the last one as it made its arduous trek to the ocean.

This family spent their vacation volunteering to help save sea turtles and enthusiastically represent the next generation of wildlife conservationists. Their excitement around wildlife and willingness to help in any way they could was infectious. It also serves as a reminder of some of the positive things that are happening in the world of conservation.

It is easy to become disheartened with all of the negative news that surrounds the field of wildlife conservation today, but it is important to hold moments like this close if we are to ensure a future for wildlife and support the herculean efforts of those who seek to protect it.

This article was first published on Wild View via the Wildlife Conservation Society. Click here to view the original post.