Rumors have been going around that Mrs.Roese, a science teacher at Freedom High School, had saved a sea turtle.

“Someone gave me a turtle that is not on the endangered species list but is threatened. The species is called the Barbour’s Map turtle. The Barbour’s Map turtles are going to be on the list soon due to a lack of breeding in their population and water pollution caused by toxic industrial discharges into some of the turtle’s home waterways,” Roese said.

The pollution is causing extensive deformities, shell ulcerations, and widespread mortality in the mollusks, a food source for turtles.

The turtle is in Roese’s room in a rehabilitated aquarium which has both water and rocks for the Barbour turtle to take a dive in the water and dry off on the warm rocks. The turtle is suffering from shell rot, which is a fungal or bacterial infection on the turtle’s shell. Because this turtle is going to be on the endangered species list, the law prohibits teachers from sheltering the turtle.

“Fortunately, The Florida Fish and Wild Life Conservation Commission said that the turtle can stay in the class room like a rehab center until the shell heals. Once the shell has healed, they will come back and take the turtle away,” Roese said. “Anyone is welcome to come to my class and see the turtle but cannot touch [it] due to the shell rot.”

Roese has an amazing room filled with unique and interesting tanks. She has a tank with two frogs, a beautifully bright fresh water tank, a natural salt water reef with a live corals in the tank, and two other colorful fish with a natural water cleaning system.