Skidaway Audubon volunteers have rescued thousands of Diamondback terrapins eggs from sand traps in The Landings this summer, and the little hatchlings are ready to be released into the wild.
Landings residents are invited to come help send these adorable newborns on their way. Community hatchling releases are scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. Sept. 30 at Sunset Park. An additional release is set for Oct. 12 from 1 to 2 p.m. Participants will learn about these extraordinary terrapins and have an unforgettable, hands-on experience with a baby turtle before carefully releasing the tiny newborn into the marshland.
Register online (Skidawayaudubon.org/events). Each session is limited to 60 attendees, and attendees may only sign up for one session due to the popularity of these events. Hatchling releases are open to all Landings residents with gate passes. All releases will be “weather permitting” and may be canceled if storms pop up. The minimum age to handle a turtle is six-years-old. All attendees, even if just chaperoning a child, should register. Parking is limited, so golf carts are encouraged. The events are free but donations are welcome.
Throughout the hot summer, Skidaway Audubon’s Diamondback Terrapin Rescue Project volunteers carefully dig up the tiny eggs and place them in protected hatcheries, safe from crows, raccoons and other predators. Adorable hatchlings appear about 65 days later. The volunteers so far this season have rescued 7,298 eggs, far more than the same time last year.
This successful project contributes to The Landings Golf & Athletic Club’s certification as an Audubon International Cooperative Environmental Sanctuary. It also generates meaningful data being used by researchers to aid in the recovery of the species. Years ago, the diamondbacks were used to make turtle soup and were harvested nearly to extinction. In 2003, commercial harvesting of diamondbacks was banned.
The rescue work is conducted under a Georgia Department of Natural Resources permit in cooperation with noted naturalist John “Crawfish” Crawford. Skidaway’s highly successful initiative is a bright spot along the eastern seaboard, where terrapin numbers are still in steady decline. For more information on the project, or to donate, visit SkidawayAudubon.org.
They’re Here! Register today to help release a baby diamondback terrapin at an upcoming Skidaway Audubon hatching release event.
Photo by Amy Collings
