Richard Ehrenberg writes, “On May 18, 2024 a Painted Turtle from Trippe Lake created an egg nest in the Clay St. Nature Park.  After 3 months and 8 days, 13 hatchlings emerged from the soil on Monday, August 26, ready to begin their new journey above ground by walking over a hundred feet to the North shore of Trippe Lake. 

 However, the lawn grass under which they hid in right-away, and some plastic netting laid near the shoreline to help restore some seeded lawn grass, both posed obstacles for these little one inch diameter hatchlings to make it all the way.  I therefore carried them to the lake.  Once in the water among the Floating Duck-weed (a native aquatic plant) they dispersed immediately up to 12 inches distance and then poked their small heads out of the water and pause to look around at their new watery habitat, on a warm, sunny, Summer day.”

Our thanks to Richard Ehrenberg for this fascinating story and photo.

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