Snapping turtle research team
Snapping turtle ecology:
In conjunction with many generous private volunteers, several local Connecticut organizations including Our Piece of the Pie and Riverfront Recapture as well as the National Geographic Society, I worked this summer with ten high school students on a snapping turtle ecology project. The primary goal was to allow these young teenagers growing up in urban Hartford, CT access to nature, science and career options they might not otherwise be exposed to. The first phase of the project included a study of nest protector devices that was designed to keep out large mammalian predators. The second phase involved trapping snappers and outfitting them with National Geographic's CritterCam. We successfully deployed (and retrieved!) the CritterCam four times. This is no small feat since these turtles are notorious for burrowing through weed-choked muck and underwater log jams!
July 15th 2008: We successfully deployed the CritterCam on a monster snapper weighing 39 pounds in Wethersfield Cove off the Connecticut River. The local media covered the event: Hartford Courant article, video & photogallery. Channel 3 news also ran a story.
July 21st editorial: Hartford Courant editorial
July 25th: Turtle's eye view: news report on footage from the maiden voyage of the CritterCam on a snapping turtle: Channel 3 news video clip and Raw footage from the CritterCam mounted to "Jawless", the monster snapper from Wethersfield Cove, CT
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August 5th: Snippy the 24 pound Shenipsit Lake snapping turtle takes the crittercam for a spin... Channel 8 news video clip Several ABC news affiliates ran a piece produced by Channel 30 news
August 7th: The 2008 snapping turtle research team graduates! Channel 61 news video clip
August 12th: Reminder News story with pictures.
September 3rd WTNH Channel 8 news link to Snippy footage.
September 8th The nest we protected hatched babies!
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