'Terrapins and Tires' program at Bass River State Forest Aug. 16

Photo by Ryan Morrill
A terrapin makes its way to a less populated
area on Long Beach Island.

Northern diamondback terrapin turtles, a species of special concern, will be the topic of discussion during Bass River State Forest’s “2014 Lectures at the Lake” series Saturday, Aug. 16, at 8 p.m. The free “Terrapins and Tires” program will take place at the Lake Absegami beach breezeway, located at 762 Stage Rd. in Bass River Township.

Ben Wurst, habitat program manager at Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, will lead the discussion. The program will focus on the life history of terrapins as well as the local efforts to diminish their number of road kills in the Barnegat and Great Bay watersheds.

“The diamondback terrapin is native to New Jersey, and major threats to the health of the population are drowning in ghost crab pots and being hit by vehicles when crossing roads,” said Cynthia Coritz, park superintendent. “Since they’re a coastal species, I think their plight is not widely known by the general public, especially folks that only visit the Jersey Shore seasonally. We hope that Ben’s program will help visitors and residents alike learn the importance of the terrapin in the ecosystem and change people’s behavior so that healthy population numbers are maintained.”

Program participants are encouraged to bring insect repellent, a flashlight and something to sit on. Donations for Conserve Wildlife Foundation will be accepted.

For more information, call the Forest Office at 609-296-1114 or visit njparksandforest.org.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.