(May 12, 2016) Maryland Coastal Bays Program, partnering with the Maryland Terrapin Working Group, a group composed of terrapin researchers and managers, is looking for volunteers to help with the annual terrapin head count survey held from May 31 to June 4. Surveys will take place by land, boat and via online submissions.
A land-based survey will collect valuable data that might not otherwise be reported. Training materials for properly reporting terrapins from the land-based survey will be available at mdcoastalbays.org by May 19. More information on this process will be available at the trainings.
To view last year’s survey protocols, visit www.mdcoastalbays.org/terrapin-project. Some teams on boats or land-based teams with spotting scopes may have space for additional volunteers. To join one of these teams if space allows indicate interest when registering for the training.
To participate in the online reporting, simply report any terrapin sightings from May 31 to June 4, and include a photograph if possible at mdcoastalbays.org, or call Programs Manager Jennifer Rafter at 410-213-2297 x 109.
Organizers are also looking for boat owners who can provide the transport, observers to identify turtles in the water (the terrapin is typically the turtle occupying brackish/salt water, but other turtles, such as snapping turtles, may venture into those waters as well) and individuals who can accurately fill out survey forms in the field, including GPS coordinates.
MCBP will host two trainings covering both land- and boat-based surveys on Thursday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m. at the MCBP office, 8219 Stephen Decatur Highway, in Berlin. The office is located on the right hand side just south of 376/Assateague Road on 611/Stephen Decatur Highway (the old Pine Shore South Clubhouse).
To RSVP for the training or to get more information on land- or water-based surveys, contact jrafter@mdcoastalbays.org or 410-213-2297 x 109.
For all sighting types, MCBP can only use information for reported terrapins if either a physical address or the GPS coordinates in decimal degrees for the sighting are reported. Sightings are important to help understand the terrapin populations in the coastal bays.
A land-based survey will collect valuable data that might not otherwise be reported. Training materials for properly reporting terrapins from the land-based survey will be available at mdcoastalbays.org by May 19. More information on this process will be available at the trainings.
To view last year’s survey protocols, visit www.mdcoastalbays.org/terrapin-project. Some teams on boats or land-based teams with spotting scopes may have space for additional volunteers. To join one of these teams if space allows indicate interest when registering for the training.
To participate in the online reporting, simply report any terrapin sightings from May 31 to June 4, and include a photograph if possible at mdcoastalbays.org, or call Programs Manager Jennifer Rafter at 410-213-2297 x 109.
Organizers are also looking for boat owners who can provide the transport, observers to identify turtles in the water (the terrapin is typically the turtle occupying brackish/salt water, but other turtles, such as snapping turtles, may venture into those waters as well) and individuals who can accurately fill out survey forms in the field, including GPS coordinates.
MCBP will host two trainings covering both land- and boat-based surveys on Thursday, May 19 at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 22 at 2 p.m. at the MCBP office, 8219 Stephen Decatur Highway, in Berlin. The office is located on the right hand side just south of 376/Assateague Road on 611/Stephen Decatur Highway (the old Pine Shore South Clubhouse).
To RSVP for the training or to get more information on land- or water-based surveys, contact jrafter@mdcoastalbays.org or 410-213-2297 x 109.
For all sighting types, MCBP can only use information for reported terrapins if either a physical address or the GPS coordinates in decimal degrees for the sighting are reported. Sightings are important to help understand the terrapin populations in the coastal bays.