The Final, December 2011 Year of the Turtle Newsletter and Calendar are now ready!
In our last month (*sniff!*) we look back on our year of turtle appreciation, outreach, and awareness and take stock of some of our accomplishments.  We also provide some information on ways you can help turtles, and we highlight a great way to promote turtle appreciation that some partners from the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) were inspired to create. We also feature a few more of the efforts of our turtle conservation partners. 

View or download our FINAL December Year of the Turtle Newsletter!
In this December issue, the last of the Year of the Turtle News, we reflect on the year and the outreach that we achieved through these Newsletters and other Year of the Turtle products.  We reflect on why turtles are so captivating, we have an interview with renowned turtle expert, Dr. Justin Congdon, we highlight efforts by the Bureau of Land Management as well as an effort to work with the Buddhist community regarding the use of turtles in their Release Life spiritual practice. One of our turtle experts, Dr. Jeffrey Lovich, answers a question that one of YOU sent in, and we highlight turtle conservation efforts in Missouri and Maryland. If that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got a teaser for 2012’s Year of the Lizard!  Enjoy!

One is Great, Four is Better: Our December Calendar and Photo(s) are Now Available!
With so many wonderful entries, our Year of the Turtle Photo Contest Team simply could not decide on just one for the last issue...  Congratulations to our four final winners of the Year of the Turtle Calendar Photo Contest, Alan Cressler, Susan Thomas, Scott McDaniel, and Jeanine Brindle. Their photos were chosen for the December calendar out of over FIVE HUNDRED (500) photos received since our contest began.  The Year of the Turtle Calendar Photo Contest has ended, but the Year of the Lizard Photo Contest is about to begin… stay tuned!

Visit www.yearoftheturtle.org to find the Newsletter, calendar and photos that you might have missed over the previous year, our Year of the Turtle Flip Cards (featuring the Top 25 most threatened turtles of the world), our improved USA Turtle Mapping Project reporting forms, and the Year of the Turtle screensaver and video.  These webpages will remain available for use into the future, and we hope to keep adding new materials, so please keep checking back!

Last, but not least, THANKS to our large list of partners who helped spread the word and celebrate the Year of the Turtle!  WE APPRECIATE YOU!!

Contact us at yearoftheturtle2011@gmail.com with any further questions, AND, if you’re interested in partnering with us for the 2012 Year of the Lizard, contact us at yearofthelizard@gmail.com!

THANKS AGAIN FOR A GREAT YEAR... Lizards, here we come!