Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The city of Puerto Vallarta invites all kids ages 9-16 to "Create Your Sea Turtle," a contest that aims to raise children's awareness respect and knowledge of this endangered species. Organized by the City Council through the Ecology sub-directorate, the objective is to encourage the preservation of the species, while developing the younger generation's artistic and social values.

Every May 23 is World Turtle Day, an annual observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and their disappearing habitats around the world. In Mexico, leatherback, green, white, loggerhead, olive ridley and hawksbill turtles spawn and feed in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. To help ensure their survival, they have been listed as 'In Danger of Extinction' by SEMARNAT since 2010.

Committed to the conservation and care of our natural resources, the municipal government is hosting this event in an effort to create a collective consciousness among the younger generations, something that is key to the destination and its natural environment.

Teams of 2 to 3 people can participate in the "Create Your Sea Turtle" contest, which will have two categories: Pequeños, from 9 to 12 years old, and Grandes, from 13 to 16 years old.

Each team must register by sending an email with the names of the members, their ages and the name of the school to which they belong, to paulina.ecologia(at)gmail.com, or on the EcologiaVallarta Facebook page. Registration will be complete once the participants receive the corresponding code. The deadline for registration is May 24, 2018.

Teams must create a sculpture of their choice of sea turtle species, which must be made of 80 percent recyclable materials such as PET, cardboard, wood, glass, etc., and should not exceed one meter long by 50 centimeters high. Participants must also prepare a technical sheet, no more than half a page, with the names of the members of the team, name of their school, description of the project, as well as the list of materials that were used.

On Friday, May 25th at 5:00 pm, contestants must bring their projects to Plaza Galerías Vallarta for judging. The evaluation committee, which will be comprised of members of the City Council and experts in the field, will judge entries based on originality, presentation and design.

The winners of the contest will be announced at 7:30 pm, and prizes will be awarded to the first three places in each category.

For more information, visit the EcologiaVallarta Facebook page.