The celebration of the season of creation is a time that allows the members of the church to give importance once again to the bountiful creation that God created. It aims to solidify and renew the connection between people and God as well as His creation. The celebration started on September 1 with the theme “Let Justice and Peace Flow” and the culmination of the celebration of the season of creation was only last October 4, 2023.
In line with the celebration, various students from Stella Maris Academy of Davao were able to participate in mangrove planting and coastal clean-up activities. The students came from the SSG or the student government, as well as one representative (an officer) per club from junior high to senior high. The activity was held in the Punta Dumalag in the Pawikan Sanctuary of the Aboitiz Group. It aimed to educate the Marisians about the effects of trash on the environment, specifically the turtles.
The Pawikan Sanctuary was home to various species of birds and a place where sea turtles are treated. It was also mentioned that sea turtles often lay their eggs on the beach, and various staff members find those eggs to help raise their chances of hatching. During the activity, the staff members gave a tour and a brief orientation about the place and how it came to be. As the tour continued, the guide showed us the place where they kept the eggs of the turtles. It was in a rectangular figure like a sandbox and the eggs were surrounded by sand and were differentiated by a fence or a net-like structure. The Marisans also learned that the sex of the turtles depends on the temperature of the sand. If the sand is colder then more males will be born, and if the sand is hot, then more females will be born. The statement “Men are cooler and females are hotter” came to mind as I heard that fun fact about turtles. We were able to see example specimens of a baby turtle and an egg. It showed us the beauty of life and its wonders. Soon after that, we were shown how they transferred the eggs to their hatching site.
In addition to that, the staff also showed us various rescued turtles that they have in their sanctuary. They also told us about how they are named after where they were rescued. For example, there was a turtle named Samal that was saved from Samal. Out of the 7 species of sea turtles, it was mentioned that the Pawikan Sanctuary has 3 species of turtles. They told stories of how they were rescued and how trash may be mistaken for food. They told us about the struggles of the turtles and how one of them didn’t even know how to swim when they rescued it. It once again opened the eyes of the students to the reality of what our environment is going through.
Soon after the tour, the Marisians were able to plant mangroves, with each student being able to plant a mangrove individually. When they were done planting the students took to the shores of the beach and picked up any trash that they could find. They filled sacks and trash bags with any trash they could find and tried their best to collect as much trash on the beach. Even after all the coastal clean-up activities that were held in the past, there was still so much trash and it shows that our ocean has a lot more trash than expected.
The whole experience was centered around helping the environment, in helping God’s creation. Through the whole activity, we were able to learn about the life of sea turtles as well as how detrimental trash is to their life. It helped us once again reconnect with creation and have this newfound knowledge and appreciation for it. In the spirit of the season of creation, as Marisians we found inspiration to become role models for our fellow students in the movement for a better and cleaner world.
By Alicia Mae P. Relampagos