The Hatchling's Journey

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

Two journeys and a mystery highlight this delightful book, which
demonstrates the coming together of culture and science. The human
journey to Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia to celebrate
Mi’kmaw history sets the stage. Petroglyphs on the lakeshore and a
wooded burial ground nearby are dedicated as a Mi’kmaw Cultural
Landscape, in a ceremony honouring the language and beliefs of the
Mi’kmaw people.

Fresh from this reminder of her ancestry, a young girl, Elen, joins her
cousin, a researcher, to seek out new hatchlings of the Blanding’s
turtle, an at-risk animal that lives near Kejimkujik Lake. It’s
October and the eggs, which were laid in June, are expected to hatch
from screen-protected nests on the beaches. From there the baby turtles
journey to their winter safe place. A single baby turtle is weighed and
measured, held and marvelled at, and returned to the beach. The mystery
is, where do they go?

The story, which interweaves scientific activity with the beauty and
wonder of a special place, is followed by short articles about the
natural history of the turtle, current threats to its survival, and the
recovery team and its role in Kejimkujik Park. Full-colour illustrations
echo the story, providing accurate pictures of the study process.

The Hatchling’s Journey is well written, evoking the deep-seated
cultural beliefs of respect for land and animals, while demonstrating a
way of acting on these beliefs in the present. Highly recommended.