18 Environment ThlesMsy.. yl^.



The leatherback turtles are coming home again
"The turle and the crne and thatb ltesweredivine. world. For more than 11 years, Under the Enda ed Species
the swallow observe the time of The Romans vaiued he turtle leatherback research has beea rn Actof 1973, isilllal t
heircomng."Jereml8:7. shell for its beauty but joined the by the V. I. Division of Fish and *EAtatiule igp dmen.
They Uae con coming ho lyGreteks and Cksiai in their Oasee Wildlife, Depairment of Plnning *Buy or sellyplrtboftheor.-
to give birth to young Crocias ambivalence toward the animal Davis and Natural Resources. The divi- I.
to give birth to young Crucla. D s ,
The C ians are the a back iself si o receives assince Io Earth Receive rany trt ep, or ny
setutles. The latebherlcks M the largest Watch volumes, who collect data oheparts.
of seven specie of ulel They and help protect the bech from Transport or armn sea ltutle
Some scientists y these tu can weigh pl to, pounds.Ove Ou ent poachers. Scientists masue and egg in anyway.
have been around more Ihan 150 the yea, .however, Ih populatious l-g the Leathbrbacks, and lake A person can be fined up to
million ar of leatherback, Hawksbill, and the first Leotheb rck sea tule G. blood samples for genetic and f,00oraoneyearinjail
lni have played an importt Green se ttl have declined drt 603 in 1979 on S. Coix. This ni endocrinologial sdies. West Rotary Club and RC&D
role in the mythologies of many tically to where they are now mal has been back to St. Coix in Thelelrcks' nesingseason are taking people out lo Sandy
cultures worldwide. Some Ameri- cndageed species. 1981, '83,'87, '9 and 92. She is begin in March and continues to Poinl to learn more about the tre
ca Indians believed hat the earth Of the three virgins, S. Croix the longest-studied leatherback in July. Every yea thoIsands of peo- native tCcias
rested on the back ofgianstual supports the largest, best-studied he world. p visit the Sandy Point Refuge at FOR INFORATION
'he Chinese believed tlt tutlu e leherback population in e tUniled Sandy Point is a National night to larn aboul these animals I
were sacred and a symbol of SlttesandthenorthernCaibbean. WildlifcRe fug done ofthe 13 andtheimpomnacofproectigthe OWle Di ..whodsam er
longevity. The Burmnnese believed OttoTanborg.aCrcian.Iaged significant nesting sites in the speciesandilshabilab o usc degree range w mawr
qfsc-c sdere win t Ma M -g
men and oresry ecology, is Sa.
Croicooiastcaivi wrier.