Wrightson Ridge tortoises could use a hand

Chip and Fred are sulcata tortoises who live at Wrightson Ridge K-8 school in Sahuarita and counselor Nerissa Patrone and English language development teacher Jen Sturzenegger hope to make this summer much more comfortable for the nine year olds.

They'd like to add a water feature to the tortoise garden. Last year, they bought a small sandbox and filled it with water, but the tortoises couldn't get into it. Then they dug a hole for the sandbox but they couldn't get out of it once they got in the water.

They've found a solution, but they need help bringing it to fruition.

They want to install a concrete water slab on an incline so the tortoises can get in and out. Think of it as a zero- or beach-entry pool. 

"It would have a float on one side so as the water runs low, it'll automatically refill and that way when we close down for the summer...we'll know that they have water 24/7," Sturzenegger said, adding that parents volunteer to feed the tortoises every other day during the summer.

They'd love for a landscaper to come to the rescue, but they'd also be thrilled if local residents could donate bags of concrete or gift cards for the project, Sturzenegger said. If she, Patrone and middle school monitor Alena Lugo have to take on the project themselves, they'd enlist the help of junior high school students, she said.

They also hope to add edible plants to the garden (tortoises love Hibiscus and strawberries) and even a miniature gazebo with shade sails. 

The school had a great many partners when the student council decided they wanted to have a garden at the school in 2021. 

Ken and Amy Shultz donated Fred and Chip (who surprised everyone by turning out to be females) and Sun Valley Construction donated the walls for the enclosure. Santa Cruz Valley United Methodist Church donated benches and several others donated stepping stones, supplies, plants, a storage bin and landscaping time. 

Their efforts have turned the tortoise garden into a huge hit.

"A lot of kids come out here for many lessons about animals and ecosystems and how to care for them. We have kids read to them. We use them as a calming mechanism for special ed children if they're having a hard time... for some of our behavioral kids, we use it as a reward that the kids can come out and feed the tortoises when they have a good day," Patrone said.

Some students are just fascinated by the tortoises, who weigh 50 to 60 pounds, in general.

Sixth-graders Alan Valenzuela and Emma Cruz end their school days feeding Fred and Chip.

"They're nice and they don't bite," Emma, 11, said.

"Feeding them is like super calming," Alan, 12, agreed.

First-graders Esme Benitez, 7, and Alicia Becerra, 7, also love the pair.

Esme says the best thing about Fred and Chip is "feeding them and spending time with them because they're very much soft."

"They're fun to relax with," Alicia said.

Ella Benitez, 9, said, "They're just calm. Sometimes I come over to look at them because they're calming."

All of the kids gave a cheer when Sturzenegger told them she was thinking of having tortoise races at the end of the school year.