Community Corner
Threatened Turtles of Massachusetts and how Local Communities & Schools are Working to Save Them!
Learn about two local, threatened turtle species from Jared Green, who has first-hand experience tracking and catching these elusive reptiles. Families are welcome and you can meet our resident Blanding’s turtles.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Comples is home to the federally-endangered Northern Red-bellied Cooter and the state-threatened Blanding’s turtle. Both species have seen severe population declines in the last several decades due to habitat loss and mortality from motor vehicles. To curb the loss of these fascinating freshwater turtle species, the USFWS has been working to protect and enhance existing and new populations. A population of Northern Red-bellied Cooters is being augmented at Massasoit National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and a new population of Blanding's turtles is being established at the Assabet River NWR using a conservation technique called head-starting, with local schools raising the turtle hatchlings.
Jared Green, is a graduate student at the University of Georgia who has worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service since 2011. Jared will talk about the history of both species in Massachusetts and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s recent efforts to save them.
For information on how you can help save jhumBlanding's Turtles, go to www.farnwr.org
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Sponsored by the Friends of the Assabet River NWR, a non-profit working with the USFWS to enhance and support the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge. Assabet River NWR is 2333 acres and
located in the towns of Stow, Maynard, Sudbury and Hudson. The Refuge has 15 miles of hiking trails and 7.5 miles of biking trails. The Visitor Center for the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex has interactive, hands-on educational exhibits, a multi-purpose meeting room, and a Friends Nature Store.
