Summer program

“it’s a perfect beach day,” i thought on my way home from school. good beach days were common in southern florida, but every once in a while there was a day that made a trip to the beach a must. little did i know, this particular day at the beach would change my summer and my life forever.

the beach was crowded with the usual groups of regulars and tourists. off in the distance, though, i noticed a large gathering of people. just then, roger, a friend of my family and a police officer, came over.

i pointed to the crowd. “what’s up with them? ”

“they’re looking at the sea turtle nests,” said roger. “we posted signs last summer listing some rules for the area. though the signs might not be enough. just the other day we found a nest that had been disturbed—probably by onlookers. the director at the conservancy doesn’t think any hatchlings will make it out of that nest.”

“that’s awful,” i said.

“it’s actually been problem for a long time. they need all the they can get to protect the turtles. you know, i think the sea turtle conservancy has an internship program…”

roger didn’t have to say another word. the next day, i asked my mom for permission. a week after that, i was hired as an intern; i would start working at the conservancy on the first day of summer vacation.

in my first days at the conservancy, i learned a lot about sea turtles, like their amazing instincts and adaptation—that a green sea turtle could hold its breath for as long as five hours, and could slow its heart rate to 10 beats per minute to conserve oxygen.

but i also learned that they were vulnerable. it was not only the tourists on the beaches that were threatening the survival of the sea turtles. the turtles were getting caught in the nets dropped by fishing boats. another major threat was the bright lights of the waterfront. i learned that when baby sea turtles hatch, they are naturally attracted to the light of the horizon. since the area near the beach had become built up over the years, the lights of hotels and restaurants sometimes caused the hatchlings to move in the wrong direction. unable to find the ocean and the food they needed to stay alive, they would die on the beach.

that summer, i worked with willing fisherman to track migration patterns. this us develop better conservation plans. i also worked to alert businesses on the waterfront of the dangers that their bright lights posed to the hatchlings. i even worked with other interns to erect a wooden fence around the nesting site to keep visitors at a safe distance.

i had no idea that one day and one moment would lead me to learn so much; i also never thought that i could make a difference. but, with a little knowledge and a lot of work, we were able to do just that and ensure that the sea turtle hatchlings would be safe for generations to come.

which response best describes the purpose of “summer program”?

a. it explains how a person’s life is changed by a single event.

b. it urges people to do more to protect the natural environment.

c. it persuades people to take action against others who harm the environment.

d. it describes how a person’s mistakes can teach valuable lessons.