photo by: Courtesy of Prairie Park Nature Center

Participants stretching surrounded by turtles during a "Turtle Yoga" class held at Lawrence's Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St.

As different animal and yoga-related trends — think goat yoga or kitten yoga — were popping up in viral videos, one naturalist at Lawrence’s Prairie Park Nature Center got to thinking about how to get in on the action.

Clayton Detherage, a naturalist and nature programmer with the center, said the idea was first hatched a few years ago by another naturalist, Sydney Clem. to use the center’s “plethora of turtles” — as Detherage said — in the class. The hope was the introduction of turtles would be unique — and make it less likely to see runaways.

“They won’t be running around as fast as other (animals),” Detherage said.

So the center held its first Turtle Yoga class in the spring of 2023. And while the turtles might be more famous for being “slow and steady,” the love for the program was not.

“It’s been insanely popular,” Detherage said.

Now in the third year of the program, the center holds around three or four classes each year, with the next session coming up at the center, 2730 Harper St., on Saturday morning. Not only is it a unique experience for the yogis, but Detherage said it’s a way to introduce more people to the “hidden gem” in southeast Lawrence.

“This program allows us to engage with the public more,” Detherage said.

Each class includes 45 minutes of stretching and yoga time, with the turtles wandering around the participants. Detherage said occasionally, people are unsure about the whole program, but once the turtles come out they really get engaged with the program and the animals. In the final 15 minutes, the center’s naturalists bring out a little pool of warm water for the turtles, and the participants are able to feed and touch them while they learn more about the different varieties of turtles.

Detherage said the center has nine turtles and two tortoises, they’ll bring out about seven or eight different turtles during the Turtle Yoga class. The center has three different species of turtles: ornate box turtles — the state reptile of Kansas — three-toed turtles and some that are hybrids of both.

While turtles aren’t the most social species, Detherage said that the class has benefits not just for the humans, but the turtles as well. As they are walking around during the class, they get some enrichment time and socialization around humans, and the turtles often get more comfortable around humans the more sessions they attend.

photo by: Courtesy of Prairie Park Nature Center

Participants listening to a naturalist from Lawrence’s Prairie Park Nature Center teaching about turtles following a “Turtle Yoga” class.

photo by: Bremen Keasey/Journal-World

Clayton Detherage, a naturalist and nature programmer with Lawrence’s Prairie Park Nature Center, holding one of the turtles that will sometimes interact with participants during the center’s “Turtle Yoga” classes. Detherage said the classes are beneficial to both the humans and the turtles, who can become more socialized and relaxed from interacting in the classes.

“They can become real relaxed,” Detherage said.

Although Detherage said the focus is on the yoga, the behind the scenes work to make sure the humans and turtles are safe is important as well. That includes giving the turtles that will be taking part in the class a warm bath so they can relieve themselves beforehand — not during the class. Additionally, other naturalists help during the class, serving as “turtle wranglers” to make sure they don’t get out of the room, according to Detherage. They may not be known for speed, but that perception can be deceiving.

“Turtles are way faster than you think,” Detherage said. “They will go missing if you don’t react.”

While the classes are not super frequent, Detherage said there are now “regulars” for Turtle Yoga classes, which has helped spread the word about Prairie Park Nature Center itself. Detherage said he first moved to Lawrence about a year ago, and many people have told him they didn’t know about the center.

Detherage noted that in recent years Dara Wilson, the supervisor, has aimed to find more ways to get more engagement with Lawrence residents who might not be aware of what he called a “hidden gem.” Recently, the center expanded an “Opossum Grams” program over the holidays that featured Teacup the opossum, as the Journal-World reported. Detherage said that was very popular and helped make Teacup the “most famous animal” in Lawrence. He hopes the continued support of the Turtle Yoga can be a similar way that people can spread the word about the center.

“When they do come and have this good experience with animals, they tell other people about it,” Detherage said.

The next class will take place on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The class costs $15 for any person older than 3. Tickets are available online at the center’s website.

photo by: Courtesy of Prairie Park Nature Center

One participant stretching, taking in a tortoise walking by her during a “Turtle Yoga” class held at Lawrence’s Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St.