The turtle exhibit at the Forest Park Museum and Arboretum will be there for a little while longer.

The popular exhibit was supposed to end in June, but Museum Curator Pete Malmberg says they decided to keep it going until the end of July. He says people have enjoyed the exhibit, and he feels it’s important to continue to educate the public about the turtle’s plight. According to Malmberg, a few species are still going strong, but there are many that are in serious danger.

If you haven’t yet been out to see the turtle exhibit, Malmberg encourages you to do so. “It’s just a really unique look at a really special animal. A lot of our focus anymore around our whole country is kind of the cute, furry animals. Well, without the as we call them ‘uglies,’ the insects and the reptiles and amphibians, we’re not going to have the cute, furry animals. They’re the building blocks of the ecosystem.”

There is no cost to visit the Forest Park Museum and Arboretum or to view the turtle exhibit. The museum is open weekdays from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.