[SEMCO] [Mass Audubon] Turtle Festival - Memorial Day Weekend

[Amy Fleischer]

Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
invites you to

The Turtle Festival
Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26, 1 - 5 p.m. plus evening programs

Experience this turtle-y terrific celebration of Cape Cod turtles of all shapes, sizes, and habitats - from box turtles to sea turtles - through a festival where you will meet live turtles, listen to a storyteller, and learn from talks by local conservationists. Under the tent each afternoon, you'll find interactive exhibits with touchable artifacts; turtle games, crafts, and art; and souvenirs and tasty treats. Dress up like a turtle, get your face painted, and take a picture with a turtle character. A turtle scavenger hunt trail loops around through the woods and brings you back to claim your prize. At 2:30 p.m. on both days, sanctuary director Bob Prescott will lead a trek off the trails to find box turtles that are marked with acoustic tags. We'll use special equipment to find them in their hiding spots, and stop along Silver Spring in hopes of seeing painted turtles basking in the sun.

We are excited to host exhibits by the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and glassblower Isabel Green.

Special Saturday Activities


*         1:30 p.m. & 4 p.m. Children's author and illustrator Susan Baur will read and sign her books, The Turtle Sisters of Cape Cod Pond and The Turtle Sisters Learn the Best New Trick.

*         2 p.m. & 4 p.m.  Conservation Talks and a chance to meet a special Cape Cod turtle.

Special Sunday Activities


*         Lewis Brothers Ice Cream Truck will be serving a custom Turtle Tracks ice cream flavor!

*         1 p.m. & 4 p.m. Meet the Turtles of Cape Cod and Beyond: Meet turtles of all shapes and sizes from the native eastern box turtle and alligator snapping turtle to the more exotic spurside tortoise and giant musk turtle. New England Reptile and Raptor Exhibits will share stories of natural history and conservation as they provide a unique opportunity to view these reptiles up close.

Adult day pass: $9 members/ $11 non-members; Child day pass: $7 members/ $9 non-members
Day passes are available online or by calling the sanctuary. Discounted two-day entry passes are available by calling the sanctuary. Passes for non-members include sanctuary admission for the entire day.

Don't miss our evening programs:
Leatherback Sea Turtle Survival: A Caribbean Community's Crusade
Earth's last warm-blooded monster reptile, the skin-covered, 1000-pound, leatherback turtle - the closest thing we have to a living dinosaur - was once headed for extinction. They were killed on their nesting beaches and their eggs dug up for food. In the course of filming the PBS documentary series Saving the Ocean, hosted by Carl Safina, television producer and cinematographer Daniel J. Lyons of Vermont Films traveled to Trinidad to witness first-hand the spectacular return of these ancient animals and the community leadership that is helping to keep this impressive pelagic species alive. In this presentation, Daniel will share the story of the leatherback and the crusade to end the slaughter on the beaches through spectacular film footage and behind-the-scenes details. Find out how the leatherbacks are faring today. Sanctuary director Bob Prescott will introduce the talk with a slideshow of last summer's leatherback rescue in Truro.
$7 Members/ $9 Non-members

The Hidden Worlds of Freshwater and Salt Marsh Turtles
Sunday, May 26, 7:30 p.m.
Author and naturalist Susan Baur swims with turtles in ponds from Falmouth to Orleans, and she has beautiful underwater video of turtles swimming, eating, fighting, and courting to prove it. Susan will share unique details of the life history of our local pond turtles, including the snapping turtle and the stinkpot turtle, and help us understand what we can do to conserve the freshwater turtles of Cape Cod. Local resident and conservationist Bill Allan will introduce us to the threatened northern diamondback terrapin, the only turtle in North America that has adapted to living in the brackish water of the salt marsh. In 2002, the small population in Eastham seemed headed for local extinction, but through the protection of nests, turtle crossing signs, education, habitat improvement, and extraordinary community support, the population has started to recover. Bill will share rare video of a terrapin digging its nest and laying its eggs upland from the salt marsh, and explain how residents and visitors alike can be part of the conservation process. Following these talks, we will hold a panel discussion on the conservation of local turtle species with Susan, Bill, and sanctuary director Bob Prescott.
$7 Members/ $9 Non-members

Our May/ June program brochure can be viewed here: http://www.massaudubon.org/PDF/newsletters/Wellfleet_Bay_272.pdf

Please let me know if you have any questions, or suggestions about future programs. I hope to see you at the sanctuary soon!

Best wishes,
Amy

Amy Fleischer, Education Director/ Public Programs Coordinator
Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
PO Box 236, South Wellfleet, MA 02663
afleischer at massaudubon.org<mailto:afleischer at massaudubon.org>
508-349-2615, ext 114
Office Schedule: Tuesday - Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Protecting the Nature of Massachusetts
www.massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay<http://www.massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay>

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