Students at Cottage Lane Elementary School are creating informative and colorful road signs for the Western Highway to encourage drivers to prepare for the turtle migration.
CLE Technology teacher Jacob Tanenbaum, a volunteer with The Turtles of Western Highway, has been visiting classes to teach students about the turtle crossing that takes place around mid-May through mid-June where turtles go on a migratory journey to lay their eggs. “I want them to learn about their neighbors in the natural world! While we’re currently focusing on one species, our technology deeply affects them. Through the initiatives that this organization has started, we haven’t lost a turtle in several years,” explained Tanenbaum.
On Thursday, Tanenbaum visited fourth graders in CLE teachers Katie Kopac and Brenda Sullivan’s class to have students create road signs to encourage motorists to slow down and use caution while driving along the Western Highway. Students wrote messages including “Go Slow” and “Save the Turtles” along with colorful illustrations. “I want the students to learn how to take action. The signs really help people slow down and it makes a difference,” added Tanenbaum. He will post the signs later this month once the migration begins.