A long time ago Nestle's had a commercial for one of their confections called Turtles. There which there were dancing turtles in top hats and a crooning blonde who told us that she loved them. It's surreal in retrospect but I can still sing the jingle.
I do love turtles, both the treat and the reptile, and I'm fortunate that both can be found close at hand . Yesterday I went for a waterfront cycle across the city and saw turtles for the first time in 2020. Since seven of the eight turtle species in Ontario are threatened it gladdens my heart to see them when we are paddling or along a shoreline. I have been known to stop traffic on highway 2 to help a turtle cross the road and delivered one from railway tracks with the bell clanging and lights flashing.
Turtles Flaunting Physical Distancing Rules along Belleville Waterfront
When I got home yesterday I discovered that it was World Turtle Day. Serendipity? Providence? Too many of these days? They seem to have been slow to emerge from the icy depths of our cool Spring, so the timing was perfect.
While there are turtle doves in scripture I don't think there are any references to turtles. I do know that Turtle Island is central to some expressions of indigenous spirituality and I like the icon of RC saint Ketari Tekakwitha holding the turtle representing our planetary home. Creation would be incomplete and diminished without turtles, so we can do our best to care for them, don't you think?
Check out this link for the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre
https://ontarioturtle.ca/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4IyoI77j1Q
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