KNIT & LEARN #01

Sea turtles, Seychelles & a Friday night knit!

Grab your knitting and join us for something new.

For our very first Knit & Learn, we’re inviting Seychellois sea turtle researcher Alessia Lavigne (@turtle_eggsplorer) into our knitting circle. Alessia researches turtles. What makes nesting successful? What happens when eggs don’t hatch? And what can this tell us about protecting turtles in the future? She’ll start us off with around 15 minutes about her work, the hawksbill turtles of the Seychelles, and the local connection to these incredible animals.

And then we knit and talk.

Ask questions. Listen. Chat. Keep working on whatever is on your needles. You don’t need to know anything about sea turtles before you come. Curiosity is enough!

• Bring whatever you’re knitting
• Meet a sea turtle researcher
• Ask your turtle questions
• Bring a Friday drink if you fancy one
• Join from anywhere

WHAT IS KNIT & LEARN?

Knit & Learn is a new format we’re trying at Knit for Wildlife. The idea is simple: Small, informal knitting sessions that bring us closer to the people working with the wildlife behind our stories. Rather than sitting through a webinar, we knit. Our guest gives us a short introduction to their world, and then there’s plenty of room to ask questions, share thoughts and let the conversation go where it goes.

This is Knit & Learn #01. If there’s interest, we’ll bring more researchers and conservationists into our knitting circle for future sessions.

Book your spot and help us make #02 happen😊

MEET ALESSIA LAVIGNE

Born and raised in the Seychelles, Alessia’s connection to turtles started long before they became her research subject. From exploring a tortoise and terrapin sanctuary on Silhouette Island as a child, to taking part in the D’Arros Experience programme and later working with sea turtles, wildlife has shaped both her life and her career.

Today, Alessia is a zoologist and researcher with the Reproductive Behaviour and Physiology Research Group at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Her work takes her inside something most of us never get to see: The story of the egg. By studying unhatched turtle and tortoise eggs, Alessia explores why some eggs successfully produce hatchlings while others don’t, and how understanding what happens during those earliest stages of life can help conservationists make better decisions for turtle populations.

During our Knit & Learn, she’ll take us into this world through the hawksbill sea turtle, sharing some of the science, conservation challenges and the cultural and personal connection to hawksbills in Seychelles. And you’ll get to ask her questions while we knit.

Read more about Alessia’s work: https://linktr.ee/turtle_eggsplorer

HOW IT WORKS

The first approximately 15 minutes will be Alessia’s introduction, followed by an informal conversation and Q&A. Cameras can be on or off. Knit, crochet or bring another quiet craft, t the important thing is that you can settle in, listen and be part of the conversation. No previous knowledge of turtles, conservation or science is needed.

IMPORTANT

The session will take place live on Zoom.

Please use an email address you check regularly when booking. Your Zoom link and practical information will be sent to this address before the event.

Places are limited to 20 participants to keep the session small and conversational.

© Knit for Wildlife