When it comes to field trips, students at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) make full use of their abilities and experiences. From February 22-26, 19 Year 12 and 13 students ventured to Hainan Island to participate in Sea Turtles 911, an organization that rescues and protects sea turtles. The students worked in a floating sea turtle hospital, treating rescued sea turtles that would have otherwise been sold as pieces of jewelry on Sanya’s black market.
Every day, the students cleaned and fed turtles and completed chores like cleaning turtle pens and hauling in nets for cleaning. The students, who participated in the rescue mission as part of the Creativity, Service, Action (CAS) component of the IB Diploma Program, also learned about turtle anatomy, and the process of tagging and identifying sea turtles. They even got to release one of the turtles back into the South China Sea; after tagging the turtle and attaching a microchip, the students named the turtle Betty in a ceremony on the beach.
Photos courtesy of YCIS
