Terp Patrol!
Thursday, before work so inconsiderately intruded on my evening, I headed over to the Indian River Inlet where the Center for the Inland Bays has its headquarters. They were holding an informational meeting about how to volunteer to help out the diamondback terrapins. Turns out the females come out of the bay areas this time of year and try to head over to the ocean dune areas to lay their eggs. The problem with this is that a four lane dual highway - Rt. 1 - lays directly in their path. The CIB has constructed fencing along most of the bay side to keep the females over there and even designed the fencing to funnel the females into some prime nesting sites on that side of the highway that they might otherwise have missed. Still, instincts are strong and the one that tells them to nest by the ocean apparently has a very persuasive pull. They manage to bypass the fence sometimes, or find holes in it, or tunnel under it.
Enter the Terp Patrol! Volunteers walk or bike ride through the affected areas and keep an eye out for females headed across the highway. If found, the turtles will be assisted (carried) across to safety. Pretty cool stuff. The numbers of turtles getting killed on the roadways in Delaware have been brought way down between the fencing and the volunteer patrols.
I live an hour away, so I probably won't be able to help out too much. I did just come across a "free" bicycle though, which is at the shop hopefully getting made ride-able right now. If things work out, I may be heading out to go on Terp Patrol a time or two over the coming months. And if you by chance happen to be traveling through Delaware on Rt. 1 between Bethany and Dewey- watch out, slow down, and give the terrapins a brake!
Enter the Terp Patrol! Volunteers walk or bike ride through the affected areas and keep an eye out for females headed across the highway. If found, the turtles will be assisted (carried) across to safety. Pretty cool stuff. The numbers of turtles getting killed on the roadways in Delaware have been brought way down between the fencing and the volunteer patrols.
I live an hour away, so I probably won't be able to help out too much. I did just come across a "free" bicycle though, which is at the shop hopefully getting made ride-able right now. If things work out, I may be heading out to go on Terp Patrol a time or two over the coming months. And if you by chance happen to be traveling through Delaware on Rt. 1 between Bethany and Dewey- watch out, slow down, and give the terrapins a brake!