Terrapin Advocate, Teacher Honored At 25th Release

STONE HARBOR MANOR – Roberta Dean, the kindergarten teacher at Stone Harbor Elementary School, celebrated her 25th and final annual turtle release with her class June 9.  
After 28 years at the school, Dean is retiring, but her love for Diamondback Terrapins will continue thanks to the passion she instilled in her students.
Dean wiped away tears as she was presented with a plaque for raising awareness for the turtles. Over Dean’s 25 years working with The Wetlands Institute, she has raised thousands of dollars with the help of her students. 
One of the ways the class has raised money was through their turtle-shaped cookie fundraiser. It is estimated Dean has made over 11,000 turtle cookies with her students. 
Wetlands Institute Executive Director Dr. Lenore Tedesco thanked Dean for teaching students the importance of caring for living things in the coastal community and her dedication to turtles. 
By involving children it allowed them to connect with their environment and instilled a lifelong lesson to protect communities, this is something the children will carry with them.
The children demonstrated their knowledge of terrapins, eager to explain where turtles live and the dangers they face in the modern environment, including the hazards of vehicles.
Wetlands staff, Brian Williamson and Dr. Lisa Ferguson, told the group that the turtles being released were all eggs that were collected from “roadkill” females. 
Institute staff dedicate many hours saving turtles from the roads and collecting eggs of dead turtles. 
Females cross causeways at this time of year seeking high ground to nest and deposit eggs. Those highways convey vehicles, some of which cannot swerve out of their way while others intentionally kill them.
Saved eggs are what make turtle releases possible.
After the eggs are harvested, they are incubated in sand and cared for until they are old enough for release, about one year. 
Since temperature determines the gender of terrapins, eggs are incubated at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) which ensures all eggs will be female. 
The theory is to hatch females to replace mothers killed and keep the terrapin population healthy.
The children, eager to hold and release the turtles, received special shirts and presented the institute with a hand-drawn banner and monetary donation. 
Afterward, they headed to the marsh to release the tiny turtles. 
A turtle mascot greeted Dean and her kindergarten class at the release area, giving high fives and hugs. 
Each child proceeded to release a tagged terrapin into the salt marsh, many children named their turtle before watching them swim off into the wetlands.  
Dean and proud parents watched the children as they showed off the ‘Terrapin Handshake,’ a holding technique used when releasing the turtles and beamed proudly. 
Staff members explained that they see quite a few of the tagged turtles again. Sometimes years later they will find the tagged turtles, usually when they are looking for a place to lay eggs. 
Female turtles come to high ground to lay eggs and often return to the same location. These tagged releases not only help with the turtle population but also research.
A public egg adoption program is available including a turtle release. For information visit http://wetlandsinstitute.org/.
To contact Johanna Hovik, email jhovik@cmcherald.com.