As a part of our environmental science curriculum, SPFHS will be participating in a program to help raise hatchling Northern Diamond Terrapins. These hatchlings are collected from Island Beach State Park by Project Terrapin and distributed to schools around the state. These baby turtles hatched late and likely would have struggled to survive on their own in the wild, so we are helping to give them a head start before they are returned in June.
Terrapins in the Classroom helps to connect students with their environment and serves as a gateway stewardship experience for students. Through the program, students learn to see connections between human impacts (including their own) and the natural world. It is an opportunity to help conserve an endangered species and protect biodiversity in our own backyards.
The hatchlings are hosted in our 20 gallon aquarium, complete with an underwater heater and filter and multiple basking platforms to help keep the young turtles comfortable. Over the course of the next few months, students develop a deep appreciation for the value of wildlife as they learn to take on the role of environmental stewards. The program culminates with a field trip to Beach Haven, where students release their terrapins into a state-approved location. The funding for our Terrapins in the Classroom program was provided by a generous grant from the EEF.
Terrapins are a turtle found in estuaries, bays, lagoons, and creeks along the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States. Unlike all other turtles that prefer fresh or saltwater, terrapins are unique in their ability to tolerate fresh, brackish and marine water. There are seven subspecies of terrapins throughout their range. The subspecies in our area, the Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin), is within the northernmost part of the range. Terrapins feed in marsh systems on invertebrates and small fish. Their diets consist of snails, shrimp, crabs, worms, and mussels. Adult females grow larger than males, becoming mature in 6 to 8 years. Males mature in 3 to 5 years.