Sy Montgomery has always felt more at home with animals than people. And as the author of three dozen books on animals ranging from hummingbirds to orangutans, animals clearly feel at home with her, too.

Last week, Sense of Wonder Creations summer camp in Vineyard Haven hosted the New York Times best-selling author and naturalist, along with her co-worker and illustrator Matt Patterson for a “turtle talk.”

Campers of all ages gathered at their worktables to hear Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Patterson share stories about their time as volunteers at the Turtle Rescue League in Southbridge. The work became the inspiration for their two most recent books.

Ms. Montgomery told the children that each of her books is born from a personal challenge to “apprentice” herself to an animal to understand herself and the world better. Turtles felt like a particularly appropriate subject at this stage in her life, she said, as she finds herself in search of wisdom and a slower pace.

Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell uses the story of turtles — their resilience, patience and longevity — to take on a problem all people face as they age: making peace with time.

“Who better to teach me than these long-lived, slow teachers revered for their wisdom?” Ms. Montgomery asked.

Their second book together, The Book of Turtles, is a children’s book featuring Mr. Patterson’s acrylic paintings coupled with fun facts and anecdotes written by Ms. Montgomery.

The pair’s presentation focused first on their personal experiences with turtles of all types, including Ms. Montgomery’s successful attempt performing reptile CPR on a baby turtle and Mr. Patterson’s travels to Central America in search of the perfect muse for his paintings.

The presenters then implored campers to get involved in turtle conservation effort.

“When we think of animals, we need to take ourselves out of our own human limitations,” Ms. Montgomery said, asking campers to envision themselves as turtles who had lost habitat to human activity.

After the presentation, campers excitedly shared their own experiences with turtles and pledged to join the turtle conservation effort, one “Turtle Crossing” sign at a time.

Sense of Wonder Creations founder Pam Benjamin, who has hosted campers every summer for the past 34 years at her home-turned-arts-and-crafts-wonderland, said that the turtle talk was a “perfect example” of the camp’s mission. Ms. Benjamin calls the camp a “blend of helping to educate young people in the creative arts, care for the environment and appreciation of cultural diversity.”

Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Patterson noted the uniquely long lifespan of the turtle as further impetus for their work.

“Many of the turtles that I have helped rehabilitate will live on for another century. What a wonderful legacy,” Ms. Montgomery said.

With each turtle talk, Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Patterson said they hope to inspire the next generation of conservationists, both in helping to save turtles and embracing the lessons these ancient creatures can teach us.