| Artist | Title | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Larsen | Intro to the episode | ||
| Eli Larsen | Every kind of turtle in Canada is now considered a species at risk | ||
| Leora Berman, COO, Turtle Guardians & The Land Between | On Turtle Guardians and the Land Between, and on just how wonderful turtles are | ||
| Noam Chomsky | PSA for community radio | ||
| Eli Larsen | Segue into the second half | ||
| Leora Berman | Turtles may be an officially designated species at risk, but they’re far from protected. | ||
| Eli Larsen | Want to be a Turtle Guardian? It's as simple as helping a little old lady--like Grace, the 125-year-old snapping turtle--to cross the road. |
I’m thinking of a reptile that cries. Can you guess what it is?
They also have great memories. They’re curious and naturally gentle, and unsurprisingly, they also feel fear. This reptile navigates using earth magnetics (like birds), and they use the sun to estimate east and west. They have dedicated territories and will hibernate within one metre of where they hibernated the year before. They feel through their shell because that’s part of their spine and they have the ability to regrow nerve tissue and recover from incredible injuries.
These reptiles are one of our oldest living relatives, having survived for over 100 million years: that means they’ve survived five mass extinctions. And yet, the biggest threat to their existence is people.
Did you guess it? I’m thinking of turtles. And today, my guest is Leora Berman, the Chief Operating Officer of Turtle Guardians and The Land Between, in Haliburton, Ontario.
And while we're at it, here's a shot of Grace:
