Turtles species that bask in the sun do so for a series of reasons important for their survival. The sun raises their body temperature so that they can properly digest; female turtles of some species seem to need the higher temperature to successfully reproduce. This piece, shown here in the studio, is the first model ferro-cement floating turtle perch. I am working on funding more, for installation in rivers, ponds, and lakes lacking
natural snags and such that provide basking. They also protect
fish from predators, provide eddies in moving water, and
provide a surface on which small aquatic insects and
plants can grow. This piece is dated by the map of
Antarctica on its back. By now, a year later, the
shape of the continent, as defined by the ice
that surrounds it, has changed.