Hello, I'm Kathryn (or Kate). This month I'm using my page to raise awareness about the environmental impact of coal mining by letting you know about a children's book called "Turtle Love" written by Renee Hills

Looking for a Holiday Gift which combines Education, Entertainment & Environmental Justice?

Turtle Love can be that gift.

Want to do something to acknowledge your concern over the future survival and health of the Great Barrier Reef?

Supporting Turtle Love can be that action.

Some of you know my friend Renee Hills has written a children's book called Turtle Love (illustrated by Anna Jacobson). Clicking on the "Back my campaign" link above will take you to her crowd sourcing page which raises funds to both publish the book and spread the word about the impact Queensland coal mining has on our environment, especially as it affects the vulnerable flatback turtle.

From Renee's Site:

" Turtle Love is written for 4-8 year olds.

The text explores themes including the impact of man-made coastal developments on the habitat of other species; how to advocate for threatened creatures and the right of all living beings to have a safe place to nest and live. As a bonus, the book contains a story within a story, a mythical explanation for the beautiful coloured rock landform on the beach where the turtles nest.

And Turtle Love is not just an environmental treatise. It is also a rewarding and empowering story that engages young children and invites them to be proactive about the welfare of other creatures.

The book is especially relevant at this time in Australia's history when people across the nation are protesting what could become the largest coal mine in the world in central Queensland's Galilee Basin area. Coal from this proposed mine would be exported through a port in a setting very similar to the one in Turtle Love. Scientists and environmental advocates hold grave concerns for the health of the spectacular coral on the Great Barrier Reef and all the marine life that call it home, if the mine goes ahead.

Turtle Love has the potential to reach the hearts and minds of all readers. It reveals the joy and delight that comes when humans acknowledge that other species with whom we share this planet have a right to safety, to a sustainable habitat, and in the case of the flatback turtles, to return to their specific nesting places year after year.

It's time for Turtle Love to swim out into the world! And that's where we need your help.