Texas Master Naturalists will be awarded the 2017 Service Pin for volunteering for 40 hours from Jan.1-Dec. 31, 2017. The pin is the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, the most endangered of all sea turtle species.
The 2017 Service Pin is received for 40 hours of volunteer service. Photo used with permission of Marsha May, TPWD.
Of the five sea turtle species that roam the Gulf of Mexico, the Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is the smallest with an average length of 23 to 27.5 inches (58.5 to 70 cm) and average weight of 100 pounds (45 kg). The Kemp’s ridley is the only sea turtle with an almost circular upper shell.
Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, is the rarest species of sea turtle and is critically endangered. It is one of two living species in the genus Lepidochelys.
The Story of the Kemp’s Ridley