Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay

August 23 and 24

This course is designed to offer unique opportunities to learn more about the turtles of Cape Cod with an emphasis on the threatened diamondback terrapin. In early summer, female diamondback terrapins leave the salt marsh to lay eggs in adjacent uplands. Several months later tiny turtles emerge from their eggshells, tunnel to the surface, and head to the marsh.

For over 30 years we have been studying the populations of terrapins in Wellfleet Bay. Through nesting surveys, mark and recapture studies, radio telemetry, and habitat and prey analysis, we have built a solid foundation of data to begin understanding the life histories of these animals and the human impacts affecting them.

During this two-day field school you will gain first-hand knowledge of turtle biology; monitor nests for hatching activity; weigh, measure, and release hatchlings; and document nesting success at various Outer Cape locations.

Indoor presentations will complement our field studies. A lecture on the first evening will provide a good overview of diamondback terrapins and their natural history. On the second afternoon there will be a lecture focusing on research conducted to study hatchling movements using radio tags, and an update on nesting statistics in our region.

*Please note: the hours listed on the schedule may vary from the sample schedule in the field school brochure and are subject to change based on tides, staff, optimal wildlife sightings, and other variables. A detailed schedule will be prepared and sent to registrants at approximately 3-4 weeks in advance.

This course is one of several Cape Cod Field Schools offered. To learn more, visit www.massaudubon.org/capecodfieldschools.