The Mon Repos Turtle Centre will open to the community this weekend for a free event aimed at spreading awareness for National Threatened Species Day.
Australia is home to more than 500,000 animal and plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.
This includes the flatback, green and loggerhead turtles who nest at Mon Repos each year.
The conservation park supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland and has the most significant loggerhead turtle nesting population in the South Pacific region.
Mon Repos Turtle Centre ranger in charge Cathy Gatley said each of the turtles species were either threatened, with the loggerhead also listed as endangered.
She said the aim of the open day was to showcase these animals and inform people on what they could do to help the turtle population thrive.
“We will have plenty of activities for people to join in on and rangers will also be available to chat to,” Cathy said.
“A new film called Back from the Brink will also be showcased on the day.
“It highlights the work that our local rangers do and the conservation efforts in place to protect our turtles.”
Cathy said turtle protection would always be the number one goal at Mon Repos.
“It is a message we are always talking about out here,” she said.
“We want people to think broadly about how they can make changes to their lifestyle to ensure they have a limited impact on these species.
“People can do some very basic things to make a big change.
“This includes assessing what you are putting in your lunchbox, such as using beeswax wraps instead of cling wrap.
“Recycling correctly, planting good native species in your garden to help attract local wildlife and so much more.
“At the end of the day, the little changes you make can have a really big impact on our environment.”
The Mon Repos Turtle Centre Open Day will be held on Saturday 10 September from 9 am to 2 pm.
Find out more about the region's turtles here.
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