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State officials looking for citizen scientists to collect information about rare North Carolina turtle

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston-Riggs
Published March 22, 2024 at 4:57 AM EDT
Diamondback Terrapins are small, aquatic turtles that live near coastal marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks. They are listed as a species of special concern and greatest conservation need.
North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission
Diamondback Terrapins are small, aquatic turtles that live near coastal marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks. They are listed as a species of special concern and greatest conservation need.

Citizen scientists are helping the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission learn more about a rare turtle that lives in the state.

Diamondback Terrapins are small, aquatic turtles that live near coastal marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks. They are listed as a species of special concern and greatest conservation need.

More more than a thousand volunteer kayakers have been conducting surveys each spring for ten years to learn more about the turtle, and this year they are for more kayakers and naturalists who may want to help.

They’re looking to figure out the relative density of terrapins in the southern portion of the coastal area and start building a data set that will allow for population trend analyses in the future.

Here's a link for those that want to get involved: https://sites.google.com/view/terrapintallync?fbclid=IwAR00BPKVrpb2ng6QKafpYVlpZFTnY9Ir5kcbPAEz3Rv7euA9AY-SeIEJpQw
Annette Weston-Riggs
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston-Riggs