Each year beginning in the Spring, the roads in our area become unavoidable obstacles to Eastern Box Turtles. These fellow living creatures couldn't possibly be more benign to humans, being a pest to no one. Yet each year untold numbers are lost as the casualties of our development, serving as the epitome of innocent bystanders, being tragically lost to our carelessness. While it can be assumed that most of these animals are killed accidentally by simply not being seen until it is too late to safely avoid them, in some cases we have actually seen people going out of their way to swerve and hit these helpless creatures.

In order to help teach our children the importance of good human stewardship of the ecosystems of our world, we have made a habit of safely removing the box turtles we encounter from the roadways in our area when possible. We frequently enjoy short drives to enjoy the scenic beauty of Middle Tennessee. This family activity provides the perfect opportunity to be of service to these fascinating creatures. We pride ourselves on the seasonal count of turtles saved each year, and frequently share photos of the turtles we encounter on social media in order to help spread awareness.

While we feel strongly about helping turtles out of the road, but we recognize that our safety is always the most important factor to consider. Here are some important safety guidelines we always follow and work to instill in our boys:

• Only pull over in an area where you have a clear line of sight in both directions. Avoid pulling over near the crest of a hill or near a curve that would limit line of sight.
• Use your vehicle's hazard lights and try to park off the road surface, either to the side of the road or in a driveway.
• When possible, try to employ a lookout positioned safely clear of traffic in such a way as to be able to clearly see (and be seen by) other vehicles.
• Hold the turtle by the sides of shell with one hand, being careful to avoid the head and feet.
• Carry the turtle directly to the side of the road that the turtle was trying to reach.
• Keep liquid hand sanitizer in your vehicle to use after handling any turtles.
• Never keep turtles or take them somewhere else. Just help them on their way across the road.

Helping box turtles out of the road provides an excellent opportunity for our children to encounter nature and to illustrate the importance of human stewardship. While teaching our sons that humans aren't separate from nature, we can help them understand that human development and behavior has serious impacts on nature. There is no other example I can imagine that illustrates just how helpless nature can be in the face of human development. The image of a box turtle slowly crossing the road, amid the speeding tires of traffic, deals an emotional gut-punch that few of us can witness without feeling an urgent sense of empathy with our fellow creatures of the world.

The North Turtle Loop takes us from Bellwood north towards a vista of the Cumberland River along Conatser Road, then up over Spanish Needle Knob via Center Hill Road, and back to Bellwood via Goshen Road. A longer variant of this favorite drive takes us along Spar Mine, Hiwassee, Cedar Bluff, Providence, Mitchell and NE Young Roads.

The South Turtle Loop takes us down to Tuckers Crossroads via Ben Green and Big Springs Roads. We then track East on Trousdale Ferry Pike along the Jennings Fork Creek, then head back North via Swindell Hollow Road. A longer variant of this drive takes us further East to either Flat Rock Road or even further into Smith County to Hix Road. Either way we return home to Stonybrook via Carthage Highway.

It is our family's hope that you find inspiration in this project. It is entirely too easy to feel disconnected from nature as we speed along the roads of our towns and cities; taking one brief moment to lend a helping hand to a fellow living creature in need can go a long way in helping you and your family remember that all life is connected in very important ways. Helping save one helpless box turtle is a big deal, but spreading the news and being part of a trend to stop the senseless loss of an entire species is a huge deal. Please consider safely stopping to help a box turtle when you can. Then share the story of your good deed and encourage others to do the same.

Please feel free to share this webpage, print and use the Roadway Sighting Log and/or use the logo and pictures you find here. We intend to put together additional resources, such as postcards that feature the safety rules, a slideshow and videos to spread the cause, print ads in local newspapers and social media pages to increase awareness, and maybe even offering fundraising t-shirts and bumper stickers in order to help fund these efforts. If you'd like to be involved in this project in any other way, please send an email to scott@stonybrooktn.com