Proud to support Durrell’s Tortoise Takeover Trail

Deloitte Jersey are pleased to sponsor a giant tortoise sculpture in the Tortoise Takeover Trail this year, helping to raise funds to build a new Tropical House at Jersey Zoo.

Tortoises, as well as turtles and terrapins, are now the most threatened vertebrate group and need help more than ever.

The amphibian and reptile house at Jersey Zoo is home to some of the most endangered species that Durrell works with and is in urgent need of improved and more sustainable facilities.

In 2019, the Deloitte-sponsored Gorilla sculpture, ‘The Space Between Us’, by Andy Coutanche raised a world record-breaking £72,000 – the highest ever recorded amount for a Wild in Art sculpture, with funds helping to build Jersey Zoo’s gorilla family a new indoor home.

Earlier this year sponsors were asked to shortlist their favourite tortoise designs, and local Jersey artist Lucy Fleming’s design ‘Harriet,’ caught the eye of the team at Deloitte Jersey.

Lucy’s inspiration for ‘Harriet’ came from Darwin's theory of evolution, his journey, findings, and specimens from the Galapagos islands. Lucy is using left-over paints to avoid waste and she is using very little acrylic paint to keep Harriet as environmentally friendly as possible.

Deloitte are also getting involved by sponsoring a young tortoise for St Saviour’s Primary School.

Martin Rowley, Partner at Deloitte said: “We are delighted to support Durrell with this latest sculpture trail. Durrell play a huge role not only in our local community but also in the wider world, pioneering global conservation work that is increasingly critical for our planet’s future.”

Alex Shears, Director of Communications and Fundraising at Durrell said, “We are delighted to have Deloitte involved with the trail again this year and are excited to see ‘Harriet’ come to life. The designs for this year’s trail are truly spectacular and we can’t wait to reveal them when the trail goes live.”

For further information about the Tortoise Takeover visit: https://lnkd.in/eMkThSWG

For more information about local Jersey artist Lucy Fleming, who designed Harriet visit: Bang Bang | Genuine Jersey

The trail launches on the 1^st of July and the Tortoise Takeover auction takes place on the 21^st of September 2023.

What is Tortoise Takeover?

Tortoise Takeover is an island-wide sculpture trail, brought to you by Durrell in partnership with Wild in Art. The trail will bring colourful, inspiring, and thrilling works of art to Jersey’s wild and urban spaces in the summer of 2023. The sculptures will lead people on a trail of discovery, not only to see the tortoises themselves but the nature in which they are placed.

Each of the giant tortoise sculptures will be sponsored by local businesses and designed by artists from Jersey, the UK and beyond. In addition, there will be young tortoises decorated by schools and community groups that will form their own ‘shop window’ trail.

After the trail, the giant tortoise sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds to build a new Tropical House at Jersey Zoo for the many species of threatened reptiles and amphibians looked after by Durrell’s expert team of herpetologists. The young tortoises will return to the schools and community groups that created them.
 

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is an international charity working to save species from extinction. Headquartered at Jersey Zoo in the Channel Islands, Durrell focuses on the most threatened species in the most threatened places.

Established by author and conservationist Gerald Durrell in 1959, Durrell’s overall aim is for more diverse, beautiful, and resilient natural landscapes in which species can thrive and people can enjoy a deeper connection with nature. Their approach concentrates on the rewilding of animals, the rewilding of ecosystems and the rewilding of people.