Just like a turtle and its shell for 100 kilometres
Arts/Life
Posted By ELAINE PROUDFOOT, SPECIAL TO THE PACKET AND TIMES
Posted 1 month ago
As children, many of us asked and were asked the riddle: "What does the turtle carry on his back?" The answer? "Its house."
Today if you ask Wiki.comthat
same question, the answer will be that turtles are one of the few animals that do, in fact, carry their house on their backs. Tortoises and snails are others.
For humans, a house is something that has evolved over the centuries. We have gone from caves to sod houses, to wooden houses, and to stone houses, until we have reached today's modern version of the house. Man originally sought shelter to provide protection from predators and the elements, and in essence, that is still the purpose of a house today. We all feel safe in our houses from outside threats.
The age-old turtle is no different from us in this respect. He carries his house on his back to protect him from predators as raccoons, hawks and skunks. And when he feels threatened, he retreats back into his shell, just as we might go back inside to the safety of our homes.
The turtle's top shell or roof of his house is his carapace and his bottom shell, the foundation, is his plastron. Whereas the turtle can never come out of its shell as it is built into the bone structure, we are free to come and go from our houses as we please.
Next weekend, hundreds of dedicated volunteers will be doing just that, leaving their houses, and strapping a temporary one onto their backs.
These selfless individuals will be the teams participating in the Oxfam Trailwalker fundraiser. They will walk 100 kilometres as part of a team
of four along the
Ganaraska Trail System, with the goal of completing the distance in less than 48 hours. Whether they are the "Agony of De Feet," "Walking the Talk" or the "Speedy Turtles" team, they are all committed to raising funds for Oxfam.
Their backpacks are all they will have to provide them a few of home's comforts, a change of clothing, water, a first aid kit, and a few snacks to help them get to the next checkpoint.
While most of us are tucked away in our beds in the comfort of our houses, these walkers, more than 400 strong will be passing checkpoints, resting a while, and continuing their quest to arrive here in Orillia at Tudhope Park by 9 a.m. Sunday, July 25.
They will be "walking the walk" all the way to Orillia.
The event has quite the history. It was started in 1981 as a military exercise for the Queen's Gurkha Signals Regiment in Hong Kong and is now one of the world's leading sporting challenges. It takes place in 11 countries around the
world to raise funds to change
the world. Kids For
Turtles Environmental Education has not been
around quite that long, only since 2006, and we, too, strive to make changes in the world by delivering educational programs, restoring habitats, and by providing a home in our Orillia office to turtles which cannot be released back into the wild.
This year is only the second Canadian Trailwalker event. How wonderful is it that Simcoe County can be home to the 2010 Trailwalker challenge? Not only can the participants experience the beauty of more than a dozen tracts of the Simcoe County Forest; the Copeland Forest; the Simcoe Rail Trail, and our own Scout Valley, they will end up at our own city park, and also, residents of Simcoe County can extend their own brand of hospitality to these courageous walkers. From the volunteers at Snow Valley, the Heights of Horseshoe, Orillia Fish and Game Reserve to the Kids For Turtles Environmental Education office, Simcoe County residents are giving them all the support we can. Kids For Turtles is proud to be part of this event, by sharing our office for the duration of the event with OXFAM volunteers and staff. Being there to answer the calls and address the needs of the walkers is our pleasure and privilege.
For more information, or to offer your support for the OXFAM Trailwalker event, go to www.oxfamtrailwalker.ca.Your support can help thousands of people around the world enjoy the security of a house as we at Kids For Turtles Environmental Education strive to do for our resident turtles and the wildlife in and around Simcoe County.
Elaine Proudfoot is the office manager for Kids For Turtles Environmental Education, a non-profit, non-government organization that introduces and educates the public on the environmental world around us. They also have outreach and workshops on stream restoration, invasive species and species at risk. For more information on Kids For Turtles or to become a member, visit the website at www.kidsforturtles.com,email info@kidsforturtles.com or telephone 325-5386.
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