Direct interaction with nature and wildlife in childhood is correlated with increased care for the environment throughout life. The involvement of children and their families with long-term conservation programs on marine turtles is essential to the success of conservation efforts. This is especially true for Indigenous Australians due to their deep cultural links to wildlife.
The 60-year long North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program has facilitated the involvement of Indigenous children in marine turtle monitoring and research programs for the past seven years. Through engagement with schools, bush ranger cadet programs and community support programs, children have created art, shared in storytelling, and played games related to turtle conservation. An average of 20-30 children per year have travelled to two field sites in the Pilbara region of Western Australia and interact with marine turtles under the supervision of turtle experts. This ongoing partnership has enabled children and their families to share culture and knowledge, learn about and engage with threatened species in their local environment, and gain a better understanding of careers in conservation. In turn, adults involved in the program are inspired to view marine turtle conservation with the same wonder and enthusiasm that the young children do.