Everyone loves turtles and it's easy to see why.

We love their slowness.

A balm in the world of human hurry.

We love how they carry their houses on their backs, how they can fit into the palm of our hands.

Turtles arose with the very first dinosaurs 240 million years ago, and they're still amazing us.

Every slow step of the way, the shells on their backs are really the fuzed bones of their spines and ribs covered with keratin, the same stuff as our fingernails.

They have no visible ears and yet can hear a human whisper.

Leatherback sea turtle babies can even call to one another while they're still in their eggs.

Did you know there are over 350 kinds of turtles that some can live over 200 years and remember their experiences that many of our North American turtles can lie buried in cold water for months on end without even taking a breath.

Everyone loves turtles, and it's easy to see why they've outlasted dinosaurs, but they may not survive us.

Most turtle species are in dangerous decline or are already extinct in the wild.

Turtles need our help.

They need us to remove plastics from the ocean, protect their nests and habitats.

Fight the illegal trade in turtles for food and exotic pets and help them cross our deadly roads.

After all, they were here hundreds of millions of years before we showed up.

The origin stories of many cultures tell of a turtle who carries the earth on her back.

And it's true.

Turtles are crucial to many ecosystems.

They eat invasive pests, disperse seeds, and their eggs nourish many wild species.

Everyone loves turtles.

And helping these ancient, extraordinary creatures offers us a great opportunity to take our turn like a turtle in upholding the earth and all its creatures.