Once again I am seeking volunteers to help with the diamondback terrapin (DBT) research and conservation project at Jamaica Bay (New York City) in June and July 2014. We’ve had a long and cold winter and we have lots of new projects so this is likely to be a particularly interesting year.
Volunteer work can be arranged around anyone's summer schedule, including NYC visitors as long as you can commit at least several days. Prospective volunteers should contact me via email or here on Facebook. Most volunteers decide to come out one or two days/week, others come out for one longer stretch of days or weeks. Work mostly involves walking thru known nesting areas and looking for nesting DBT, then following a standard protocol for marking nests, capturing DBT, and data collection. We also go in areas where visitors are not allowed. When you do this, you must be wearing an official terrapin volunteer t-shirt. No one under 16 without a parent or guardian along. It is helpful if you have a pair of binoculars. Volunteers are never more than a 20 minute walk to the Jamaica Bay Visitor Center, which is air conditioned and has water and restrooms. You can join us at the Facebook group Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research and Conservation or email me ([email protected]) for more information.
