The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) needs volunteers for the 2025 Terrapin Tally, a volunteer-supported survey event conducted each spring to learn more about Diamondback Terrapins.
Sometimes called “snorkels” or “soft-shell snappers,” these small, aquatic turtles live near coastal marshes, estuaries and tidal creeks, and are listed in North Carolina as a Species of Special Concern and a Species of Greatest Conservation Need.
“We need to build a robust data set to reach our goal of more fully understanding the condition of this Species of Special Concern in North Carolina,” says NCWRC Eastern Wildlife Diversity Supervisor Hope Sutton. “The continued efforts of community volunteers through the Terrapin Tally moves us closer to this goal.”
This community science effort is led by NCWRC and supported by several partner organizations including the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, N.C. State Parks, Bald Head Island Conservancy, N.C. Audubon, N.C. Aquarium and National Park Service, with hundreds of volunteer kayakers, who take to the coastal waterways and document terrapins in the southern portion of North Carolina’s coastal area. The data collected has contributed to fisheries management to protect terrapins from drowning in blue-crab pots.
“Many N.C. Coastal Reserve sites provide ideal habitat for diamondback terrapins, and we are excited to continue these efforts for the 11th year alongside the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission,” said Elizabeth Pinnix, Coastal Reserve southern sites manager. “These data are important in understanding terrapin population trends and contribute to informed management decisions to protect this estuarine turtle.”
Participants supply their own kayaks and mobile phones. A mandatory training session will take place Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to noon at Carolina Beach State Park Visitor Center and Hammocks Beach State Park Visitor Center. A virtual training is also offered. Registration is required to participate.
For more information, visit 2025 Terrapin Tally.
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