The Cutest Traffic Jam You’ll Ever See
Written by Jack Meyers, Environmental Educator
Every day the Rye Nature Center’s parking lot hosts various vehicles. Whether it’s staff cars parked for the day, a camper or preschooler being dropped off, or the occasional delivery of tissues and toilet paper, most visitors are just here for a handful of hours. However, something a little more interesting has been stationed on the periphery of our parking lot since June.
Amid the fun of our spring June Bugs program, a large shelled friend was found waiting in our drop off queue. This friend was a snapping turtle, fresh off her long journey up the hill from our brook. Her purpose? She was also looking to drop off her little ones into our care as well!
If you’re like me, you may be wondering if this precarious nest location was really the best choice. After talking with our Conservation Director, Jax, I learned that parking lots have been increasingly sought after real estate for snapping turtle babies. The compacted dirt and extended time in the sun act as an incubator for the eggs. Jax also pointed out that the small grey rocks of our parking lot are visually similar to baby snappers, helping them evade detection from predators. Lesson learned: never doubt the instincts of a mother!
After setting up a proper barricade and consulting the appropriate experts at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), all our team could do was anxiously anticipated the arrival of our new aquatic friends. And so, we waited.
Snapping turtles usually hatch after 90 days so by the time August came around, it wasn’t just the late summer heat making us sweat a little. We were nervous that the clutch of eggs may not hatch so we reached back out to our friends at the DEC who said to give it one more week before digging up the eggs. Fast forward to Tuesday, September 2nd. With Forest Preschool a week away and the forest is abuzz with the promise of a new school year. That Tuesday, several staff members bore witness to the hatching of 49 happy and healthy baby snapping turtles! The staff was overjoyed to see so many critters take to their new home as we released them out into our wetlands. Despite their dangerous reputation, words cannot describe how cute a two-inch baby turtle can be. Thankfully, we captured plenty of photos and videos!
It’s always hard to see your babies go off on their own. Jax and Steven take comfort in knowing they’ve created a healthy habitat in our woods that these little critters can now call home. So, next time you’re out on a hike in our forest, be sure for keep your eyes peeled for one of these little shelled friends!