Launch of the Tortoise Club for Schools

On 19th October 2005, the Galapagos Conservation Trust launched its national Schools Tortoise Club at St Gregory RC Primary School in Ealing, London. Pupils at the school met tortoise experts from the British Chelonia Group - Don Freeman, Bob Langton, and Jean Jones - who brought along some tortoises, spoke about tortoises and told stories.

Author and science writer, Henry Nicholls, who has just written a book about the most famous Galapagos tortoise in the world - 'Lonesome George' - was also there and he was able to tell the pupils a little bit about this famous Galapagos inhabitant.

As part of the launch, the pupils at the school were asked to draw a tortoise and the winning entry was by Victoria Scott, age 10, who drew a fantastic African Leopard tortoise hatchling. The judges were very impressed with the realistic details, colour and research that had gone into the picture (below).

Afterwards Victoria told us that she had decided to draw that particular tortoise after looking up information about how tortoises hatched.

As part of the tortoise club, the school sponsored a Galapagos giant tortoise egg.

Click here for more photos!