Join or volunteer at local reptile conservation societies, clubs, and conservation areas. Most of these groups run on very limited funds and cannot hire a lot of staff. Joining or volunteering will not only keep you networked with others who care about turtles, but it will also allow you to help out by just giving your time. Thousands of turtles die on the roads every year. Often people will purposely hit turtles on the road! If you do see a turtle on the road move it across in the direction it's going. It is important to move all turtles with two hands, by grabbing the very back of the shell, not the tail! This will ensure both you and the turtle will not be harmed.

If you see any turtle products (products made from their shells, turtle meat, etc) do not buy them! Even if you try to justify that you did not kill the animal, you are supporting the demand and another turtle will have to be killed to replace the purchased item.

Do not catch turtles from the wild for pets. You could be taking the mother of the next batch of future turtles. If you really love these animals you will leave them in the wild.

If you do have a pet turtle and you do not want it anymore, do not release it into the wild. Releasing pets into the wild can upset the natural balance of the Eco-system. You can donate the turtle to a local reptile zoo or club. You can also adopt the reptile out to someone who can give it a good home.

Properly dispose of your garbage and recycles. Turtles may mistake plastic bags, Styrofoam, and trash floating in the water as food. This can kill the turtles when the trash blocks their intestines. Similarly, buy reusable shopping bags. This will cut down on the consumption of plastic bags.

Do not use chemical pesticides and other similar chemicals around your home. These chemicals often wash off into nearby wetlands, which may harm turtles and their prey. Similarly, do not dump chemicals down drains.

Do not use resources that are non-renewable, such as sand and gravel and other such substrates collected from beaches, lakes, and other bodies of water. These are important to turtle habitats and nesting spots.

Celebrate events without the use of balloons. Like plastic trash, balloons end up in the ocean/lakes, especially when released near the coast/waterfront. Turtles may mistakenly eat the balloons and die.

Ensure that any prawns, shrimp, or shrimp products you buy are turtle-safe (caught by trawlers using turtle-exclusion devices - TEDs). Shrimp nets kill massive amounts of sea turtles.

Do not buy soaps, skin creams, or other cosmetics that contain turtle oils/sea turtle oils in them.

Help reduce turtle predators like raccoons and skunks. Reduce food sources that attract these predators. Garbage, pet food, and bird seed may attract raccoons, skunks, and other turtle and turtle nest predators. Store garbage and other food sources indoors or in containers that cannot be opened by animals. Avoid feeding pets outside. Place bird feeders so they are inaccessible to raccoons and skunks and keep areas underneath bird feeders clean. Promote measures, such as proper storage and disposal of garbage, to keep populations of turtle predators, such as raccoons and skunks, in check. Establish and enforce leash laws for dogs and keep cats inside to avoid predation. Domestic pets can seriously injure or kill land bound turtles.

When mowing your grass be watchful for turtles. Nesting or basking turtles may wander onto yards. Please take a moment to check through your yard to make sure there are no turtles present. Watch ahead of you, or have a lookout walk well ahead. Cut on a dry day, at midday, to avoid turtle activity.

Do not support turtle racing. Turtle racing is an event that is often held for the entertainment of young children at fairs, picnics, rodeos and socials across the U.S. Those involved usually do not know what harm they are doing to the local turtle population and to the individual turtles. The turtles for these events are found and collected from the wild, with the overwhelming majority picked up off the roads. These "collectors" often exceed their legal limit of turtles. Turtles are piled up in five gallon buckets or cardboard boxes for a time ranging from several days to several weeks without food or water. As a result the turtles are under an enormous amount of stress and sometimes covered with urine and feces. This spreads disease among the turtles.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest issues turtles face today. Protect your town's natural habitats. Learn where the natural habitats and watersheds are in your community and then try to work with the town conservation commission, conservation area, or department of parks and recreation to promote use, preservation, and understanding.

When out in natural areas that turtles frequent, please be respectful. Keep an eye out for turtles on paths when biking or on ATV's as to not run them over. It would be preferred if you did not bike or ATV at all in lush natural areas that are home to turtles, but instead hike. It is also important to stay on designated paths.

When boating, stay alert and avoid turtles. Propeller and collision impacts from boats and ships are known to result in injury and death of turtles. Also, stay in channels and avoid running in seaweed beds or lush areas to protect this important habitat from prop scarring and damage. Avoid anchoring boats in seaweed beds, areas of thick vegetation, and coral reefs which serve as important foraging and resting habitats for turtles.

Do not drive vehicles of any kind on turtle beaches. Driving on beaches with cars or four wheelers can destroy turtle nests laid in the sand.

If you build sandcastles while at the beach, knock them down before you go. Fill in any holes or paths you have made in the sand. These can act as barriers for baby turtles trying to reach the water. If you plan a day at the beach, do not camp over night on the beach as nesting female turtles may be discouraged by this and abandon her nesting. It is also important not to drive on the beach as this can crush the buried eggs.

Remove recreational equipment, such as lounge chairs, cabanas, umbrellas, and boats, from the beach at night. Their presence can deter nesting attempts and interfere with the seaward journey of hatchling turtles.

If you encounter a turtle, admire it by observation only. Do not attempt to pick it up or handle it. An exception to this is when handling turtles to move them off of roads. If turtles are encountered in the water, do not approach them while diving or snorkeling. If you encounter a turtle on the beach at night, remain quiet, still, and at a distance, otherwise she may become frightened and return to the ocean/lake without nesting. Use your natural vision when walking on the beach at night, opposed to a flashlight. Many people will harass turtles they encounter by handling them. Nesting female turtles may become too scared from such harassment and may abandon their nesting duties. If the eggs are not laid the turtle can die from becoming egg-bound (unable to lay her eggs).

The use of flashlights and flash photography can deter turtles from coming ashore to nest or cause them to abort nesting attempts. Do not construct campfires on the beach. Turtle hatchlings are known to be attracted to the light emitted by campfires. This causes the turtles to crawl into fires where they will die.

Close blinds and draperies in oceanfront/waterfront rooms at night to keep indoor lighting from reaching the beach. Minimize beachfront lighting during the turtle nesting season by turning off, shielding, or redirecting lights. When baby turtles emerge from their nests, they head towards the brightest light. This is usually the moonlight over the horizon. This ensures that the turtles will safely make it to the water. Bright lights from buildings can confuse the turtles and lead them away from the water where they will perish.

When driving, slow down and be watchful when on roads that turtles are known to cross.

Society Contact Information:   SDTTS, PO Box 712514, Santee CA 92072  -  (619) 593-2123  -  Email:    president@sdturtle.org