Wild Turtle Week

Join the slow and steady movement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for our new dates on June 10-14th, 2024! #WildTurtleWeek is a collaborative initiative between the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to shell-e-brate all things related to turtles for one week, beginning on Monday June 10th, 2024.

#WildTurtleWeek was created in 2022 by PARC and partners to help elevate turtles and their conservation. The week was centered around World Turtle Day® which occurs on May 23rd each year, but starting in 2024, we will be moving #WildTurtleWeek to June to anchor with World Sea Turtle Day.

New in 2024: we have designed an ArcGIS Storymap showcasing the 50 States of Turtles. Click here to learn more and explore!

Daily Themes   

1. Monday, June 10: Turtley Awesome: Why turtles are special
2. Tuesday, June 11: Turtles Need Our Help: Threats turtles face
3. Wednesday, June 12: Every Turtle Counts: Turtle populations can’t afford extra losses 
4. Thursday, June 13: Turtle Power: Turtles play important roles in their ecosystems 
5. Friday, June 14: Be a Good Turtle Neighbor: Everyone can play a role in helping turtles

#ShellebrateTurtles Campaign

Join us in celebrating the wonders of wild turtles! Let’s spread awareness and love for these amazing creatures by showcasing their beauty and importance in their natural habitats.

Here’s how you can participate:

1. Draw or Share Pictures: Use our templates, draw your own, or share pictures of wild turtles in their natural habitats. Show off their unique features and the environments they call home. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ShellebrateTurtles!
   1. If sharing photos of turtles in the wild, please don’t share exact locations.  Many species are targets for illegal collection.
   2. The shell of a turtle is part of its body – in fact, a turtle can feel pain if the shell is damaged.  Please don’t write, paint, or etch anything on a turtle’s shell!
2. Share Your Love: Along with your picture, share a short description of why you love wild turtles. Is it their vital role in ecosystems? Their ancient wisdom? Their cool adaptations? Let the world know why these creatures hold a special place in your heart.
   • Check out our #ShellebrateTurtles writing prompts for kids! (PDF)
3. Spread Awareness: Educate others about the importance of protecting wild turtle populations. Share facts about the threats they face, such as habitat loss, pollution, and illegal trade. Encourage everyone to take action to ensure their survival and help to spread the word that #EveryTurtleCounts. 
4. Support Conservation Efforts: Consider supporting or volunteering with a local nature center, turtle-centric organization, etc. 

Together, let’s #ShellebrateTurtles and show our appreciation for these incredible beings. Thank you for joining us in this campaign to honor and protect wild turtles!

Social Media Toolkit   

Are you looking for ideas and/ or inspiration for posts? If so, check out our previous social media toolkits below. The 2024 toolkit should be out by mid-May 2024.

• 2024 social media toolkit (PDF)
• 2024 social media graphics (Google Drive)

The toolkits include sample posts you can copy and paste, photo sources, and more! Be sure to use our official #WildTurtleWeek hashtags and consider tagging PARC! If you are looking for Facebook banners, Facebook turtle pledge posts, and other social media graphics, check out our #WildTurtleWeek Google Drive. The US Fish and Wildlife Service also has a Wild Turtle Week Library and provides graphics, without logos here. Everything is free and available to download and share.

#WildTurtleWeek #EveryTurtleCounts #KeepWildTurtlesWild #WorldTurtleDay

Previous Social Media Content

You can find our previous toolkits below:

• 2023 social media toolkit (in English)
• 2023 social media graphics (English Wakelet)
• 2023 social media toolkit (en Español); shorter version
• 2023 social media graphics (Español Wakelet)
• 2022 social media toolkit

Photo Gallery  

Need photos of turtles?! We have you covered! Check out our Flickr album with turtle photos to share. USFWS Flickr Gallery

Video Resources

Interested in short reels to use on social media? We got you covered! Check out this Google Drive from the Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy (ARC) which contains a selection of short clips. We also have them up on our YouTube channel.

Educational Resources  

Use these activities to teach students about threats to turtles, and how they can help:

• #ShellebrateTurtles writing prompts (2024)
• Turtle Activity Pack (2022)– An assortment of printable activities to learn about turtles.
• Terrapin Travels (2022)– A virtual activity designed to teach about diamond-back terrapins and hazards they face. The activity is written for Maryland but can be adapted.
• Save the bog turtle: Population game – Act as wildlife managers in charge of rare bog turtles.
• Where are the turtles? – Explore fluctuations in native turtle populations in response to threats. 
• Turtle protector pledge – Commit to being a turtle protector.
• WILD at Schools: Turtle Troubles – Examine the largest and smallest turtles found in Maryland and the threats they face. Compare the life cycle of a land and a sea turtle, then explore different scenarios turtles face to survive through hands on activities before students suggest actions to take to help turtles. For Grades 3-5.

Find more educational activity ideas in Rhode Island’s Scales and Slimes activity kit. 

#EveryTurtleCounts Gear

Celebrate #WildTurtleWeek in style and help Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) in the process by purchasing some of our #EveryTurtleCounts gear on Threadless. The design was made specially for PARC by Nina McDonnell.