Turtle Brigade plants ‘turtle crossing’ signs after Mother’s Day rally reminding motorists to ‘slow down’ for turtles

MANCHESTER, NH – Members of the Turtle Brigade assembled along Bridge Street for a rally, holding signs and waving at motorists zipping by.

It was no coincidence that it was Mother’s Day – the group, many of them members of New Hampshire Animal Rights League, are determined to protect the next generation of turtles by urging drivers to slow down and watch for migrating turtles.

Mid-May marks the time when many of New Hampshire’s female turtles begin leaving their aquatic homes in search of suitable nesting sites. They prefer loose or sandy soils, often requiring long journeys – a turtle can travel 4 miles or more during this migration – to find the perfect location.

“We are going to fan out after this rally here at Derryfield Park into eight teams heading in eight different directions to put up signs in predetermined spots,” said NH Animal Rights League President Joan O’Brien who was helping to coordinate Sunday’s visibility.

The group worked closely with wildlife biologist Josh Megyesy, of NH Fish and Game’s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, to identify turtle crossing hot-spots.  There will be two signs planted at each hot spot – one on each side of the road.

When it comes to conservation efforts, Megyesy is focused on education and advocacy, which includes encouraging willing landowners to improve local habitats for New Hampshire’s seven native turtle species, four of which are considered endangered or in trouble. They are: Blanding’s turtle (endangered); Eastern Box turtle (special concern), Common Musk turtle, Eastern Painted turtle, Snapping turtle, Wood turtle (special concern); and Spotted turtle (threatened).

“Turtles face a variety of threats, with the highest ranked being road mortality and habitat loss from residential and commercial development,” Megyesy said in a follow-up interview on May 12. “Turtles use a variety of wetland and upland habitats and move often between these areas, putting them at risk when they cross roads to utilize these areas. Many turtle species do not become sexually mature until 14-15 years old, so the loss of a mature turtle has a significant impact to their local population.”

The work of NH Fish and Game’s non-game department is funded through state matching grants, private donations and federal money.  It’s not yet known if federal cuts will trickle down to turtles, but wildlife advocates are preparing themselves.

“The turtle conservation and monitoring work I do is mostly federal grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (competitive State Wildlife Grants program). It’s uncertain how federal budget cuts will affect these grants, but I expect a significant decrease which will certainly impact the work we do for turtles in New Hampshire,” Megyesy said.

O’Brien said Saturday’s visibility at Derryfield Park was meant to bring more awareness to the plight of local turtles, especially now, in mid-May, when turtle moms begin their migration in search of a safe place to lay eggs. The signs will remain up until the end of August as a reminder to people to look down – and slow down.

“And if they see a turtle on the side of the road – or in the road – if they feel comfortable and if it’s safe, they can stop and help the turtle cross,” O’Brien said.

An information table set-up during the rally had brochures with resources for those who would like to do more to protect turtles – including becoming an on-call “turtle transporter,” helping to deliver injured turtles to NH Turtle Rescue rehabilitation center in Nottingham.

And if you’re wondering why turtles matter, they are an essential part of the local ecosystem, eating large quantities of mosquitoes and other insects and pests. Their existing habitats are being disturbed by urban development and pollution, which is why advocacy groups encourage people to learn more and do what they can to protect wildlife, including turtles.

Conserving turtles is conserving biodiversity, Megyesy said.

“The landscapes and habitats we protect also benefit many other nongame species. We often refer to them as an umbrella species, with wetland birds, pollinators, other reptiles and amphibians, mammals, and fish all under that umbrella. Land protection is paramount in turtle conservation and requires the help of partnerships with other state and federal agencies, municipalities, land trusts, and landowners with conservation goals. We are also working with towns to identify and upgrade wetland and stream crossings on roadways to transition to ‘turtle friendly’ culverts and bridges. The Turtle Brigade is also helping out by getting turtle crossing signs in areas where we have known road kill hotspots or roads near priority turtle populations.”

O’Brien and her band of merry turtle protecters were happy to do their part, and they welcome anyone interested in getting involved to contact them.

“We picked Mother’s Day to rally and put out the signs because turtles are some of the most resilient, perseverant mothers,” O’Brien said.

To learn more or get involved, there are several local resources:

• NH Turtle Rescue
• Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
• Report turtle sightings to the Reptile and Amphibian Reporting Program at RAARP@wildlifenh.org
• NH Animal Rights League