Turtles on the Move

Airport delays typically don't make people smile, though this story has caused quite a few of them.

Yesterday, runway 4 at JFK airport was temporarily shut down when over 150 breeding turtles crossed the runway to lay eggs in the marshland and bay surrounding the airport. The story was quickly picked up by news outlets and social media all over the world, with @JFKturtles suddenly launching as a popular twitter account in the Bronx Zoo Cobra tradition.

Fabien Cousteau commented, "Even busy New Yorkers pause for nature."

Day 14 at my new gig, and of course this story can't help but illuminate the big stuff we're talking about at work. Nature isn't something "out there" -- we are all one big eco-system, and 'healthy people, healthy planet' is completely intertwined.

I've always loved turtles, and know in certain cultures and traditions they're a symbol for many things - protection, longevity, fertility, afterlife, endings and beginnings.

To me, they are nature's reminder that things often don't happen on your timetable, and of the wisdom of patience.