My name is Kian and I am 15 years old. I’d like to tell you about an 8 day trip to Greece I took with Flooglebinder to work with the Sea Turtle Protection Society.

The trip to Greece was a great eye opener. There were many inspirational and memorable experiences, specially the time we visited the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. It was very moving and had a lot of meaning for us to understand. It showed how the world is not always a nice place for other species. I learned that humans are harming turtles and the turtles are struggling and they are endangered. We’d like to raise awareness increase their chance of survival.

This conservation project was also amazing because we got to see the turtles in person and not through a television or on the internet. We had many happy times such as when we walked along the beach searching for eggs. On the first day at the camp, my group didn’t find eggs which was a little sad. However, the rest of the beach walks were a lot of fun and we saw many of the turtle nests with eggs on the second and third days.

I enjoyed the time when we went to the teaching area and learnt about the Caretta caretta. This was very informative and helpful to understand about the turtles and gain insight on how locals are being taught to co-exist with the turtles and not to harm them or kill them if they are found in fishing nets.

Greek food is not similar to the foods I normally eat and I found it enjoyable to discover another type of cuisines. We stayed in a very nice hotel with great accommodation and an area to play pool and other activities.

My trip to Greece was amazing and a lot of fun and a great life experience. We had so much to do with a great group of people. It’s important to travel. If you just stay where you are, you will not find out as much about yourself. Before the trip I was shy and timid. I learned to get out of my shell and start talking to others. I came back more mature and more outgoing. My inspiration is to work really hard and study and I’d like to become a Marine Biologist.

Your stories: Toby’s sea turtle adventure (Part 1 in a series of 3)
Your stories: Bethany’s sea turtle adventure (Part 2 in a series of 3)

A Note from Flooglebinder

Kian is a very quiet individual and it’s often quite hard to even hear him speak, but he already has a huge passion for Marine Biology. Featured in Part 3 of 3 series, Kian is one of twenty four students who travelled to Greece for 8 days to work with the Sea Turtle Protection Society. He studies at Eastbury Community School in Barking and Dagenham is a borough with the highest unemployment rates and one of the lowest household incomes of any London borough and it took two years for the students to save up for the experience to join the conservation project.

The Sea Turtle Rescue Centre was set up in 1994 with the Municipality of Glyfada and the financial support of the Environmental Ministry. The tasks of the STRC are to rehabilitate injured and sick sea turtles and to raise public awareness. The most common injuries for which turtles are being treated are: amputations due to fishing gear entanglement, ingestion of hooks and other materials such as plastic bags, deliberate head injuries by fishermen, collision with speedboats etc. The function and maintenance of the Rescue Centre is based on volunteers. Every year almost 50 volunteers work on sea turtle treatment, maintenance and public awareness.

After studying Marine Biology at Uni, we founded Flooglebinder. Through travel, we connect people with nature and help them explore new cultures and communities in the hope to create the next generation of global citizens. Adventures are the best way to learn. Taking part in conservation projects, engaging with other like-minded youths and gaining life skills is valuable to their own personal development outside the classroom, create new friendships and will empower them to make a positive impact. We provide educational programmes and travel experiences for students, families and groups of all ages with the aim to conserve threatened habitats, protect endangered species and ultimately create better global citizens. And have a great time!