Meet the 11-year-old helping the turtle population in South Hedland

How did you spend your mornings when you were 11 years old?

11-year-old Lockyer often wakes up early and heads down to his local beach to look for turtle tracks, nests and sometimes even baby turtles, all before he starts school.

He does this as a volunteer with Care for Hedland Environmental Association, an environmental interest group pursuing a shared vision of environmental awareness for the townships of Port and South Hedland.

One of their key programs is their community-based turtle monitoring program, first established in 2004 to provide a much-needed role for the awareness and conservation of the local threatened Flatback sea turtle species Natator depressus.

Flatback sea turtles nest only on Australian beaches and have the shortest migratory range of all sea turtles. There is currently limited population data available on the species, which speaks to the importance of the Care for Hedland turtle monitoring program. This program is a part of a wider turtle monitoring project encompassing nesting rookeries from Shark Bay to the Kimberley.

The program uses a non-invasive approach to obtain monitoring data through conducting early morning beach patrols assessing turtle tracks and sand patterns. Laid and hatched nest locations are recorded using a GPS and additional turtle and predator activity is documented. This data is sent to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and joins a state-wide database which helps scientists to build a picture of Flatback turtle populations and nesting behaviour.

We had a chat with Lockyer to learn more about his volunteering efforts, and what inspired him to give back at such a young age.

When and why did you start volunteering with Care for Hedland?

Last year I was at Cemetery Beach with my older sister and noticed some turtles coming up onto the beach. I asked my sister if we could go and have a look, and she said yes.

We went down and listened to the volunteers talk about the turtles and the important work they do. At the end, they said they were looking for more volunteers to help. I told my sister that I really wanted to get involved, and that’s how I started volunteering with Care for Hedland.

What do you enjoy about volunteering?

I enjoy learning more facts about turtles and teaching other people why it is important to protect them. It feels good knowing that I am helping raise awareness and making a difference for wildlife in our community.

Why do you think it’s important to take care of the environment, and how are you making an impact by volunteering with Care for Hedland?

I think it is important to take care of the environment because animals like turtles depend on clean beaches and healthy oceans to survive. If we don’t look after the environment, it can affect their homes and make it harder for them to live safely.

By volunteering with Care for Hedland, I help monitor turtle activity, share information with visitors and encourage people to respect wildlife. Even though I am only 11, I know that small actions can make a big difference.

Would you recommend that other young people try volunteering?

Yes, I would definitely recommend volunteering to other young people. It is a great way to learn new things, meet new people and help your community. Volunteering with Care for Hedland has taught me a lot about turtles and the environment, and it has given me experiences that I would never have had otherwise. It is also really rewarding to know that you are helping protect local wildlife.