Turtle Haven

You can even find
turtles in Susan's yard!

This beautiful piece of embroidery
is one of hundreds of turtles Susan
has collected over many years.

I was fortunate enough to meet a kindred spirit this morning in Ocean Park (WA) COASSTer Susan who shares not only an interest in birds, but of turtles too! I’ve always been drawn to turtles, so much so that I have a tattoo to denote their significance.  Boy was I amazed to see the truly incredible collection of turtles Susan has amassed over many years of collecting. They cover every nook and cranny of her home, totaling well into the hundreds.  But turtles aren’t the only thing Susan has collected over the years. Having volunteered with COASST now for over a decade, she recently surpassed 1400 birds that she has processed for the program. And the numbers continue to climb. Then I remember that Susan is just one of over 800 volunteers across four states. I continue to be amazed at the impressive stats of COASST volunteers, especially when I think of just how valuable that data is as a whole. 

Some of Susan's favorite turtles are those that are hand-made, like this one crafted by her grandson.