New Pictures From Earthshine Nature and Earthshine Lodge!
Check out some of the latest pics of your memories at Earthshine!
reptiles
TURTLE TRACKS expedition from 10-14-2012
This is the most recent Turtle Tracking expedition of 2012. In the below video we find that Catherine is headed toward her over-wintering site and Jimmy Irwin is already there! This is probably the last time we will see them until April 2013.
Thank you to everyone who assisted me in locating the turtles today!
Turtle Tracks is an Eastern Box Turtle conservation and research project occurring at Earthshine Mountain Lodge in the mountains of western North Carolina, USA. Through the magic of modern technology, glimpse into the life of a wild box turtle in its natural environment.
Music By: The Steep Canyon Rangers http://www.steepcanyon.com
Special Thanks to: Catherine and Jimmy Irwin the Eastern Box Turtles, Earthshine Mountain Lodge and staff, John Rucker and his amazing turtledogs, Charlie Green of Turtle Talks in Asheville, NC., Dr. Coleman DVM, Catherine O’Neil, Marian O’Neil, Lori Williams, Gabrielle Graeter of the NCWRC, Ann Somers , The Steep Canyon Rangers http://www.steepcanyon.com, John Mason http://www.blueridgebreezes.com and the late Steve Irwin “The Crocodile Hunter” for your passion and dedication for preserving the wildlife and wild places of the planet. May your dreams and passion live on in everyone you inspired and may you rest in peace.
For more information on Earthshine Nature and the Turtle tracks Eastern Box Turtle conservation project check out: http://www.earthshinenature.com
New nature photos from ENP!
Check out several new photos from adventures with Earthshine Nature Programs from over the last few weeks–enjoy!
Hatchling and Head Start Box Turtle Release!
I released three young box turtles today. Watch the video at the end of this post for all the details. The first two releases were hatchlings that I hatched from rescued eggs in the nature center–scroll down to read my previous blog posting and photos of these tiny turtles hatching and read more about their story. Check out this photo of one of the hatchlings just before I released him–you can still see his tiny little egg tooth–the white thing on the end of his nose–that he used to slice his way out of the egg! It will drop off soon.
In the second part of the video I release Betty the head start box turtle. Below is a photo of Betty just after her release.
Betty the turtle was rescued a couple of years ago by Betty the human who is a friend of Meredith’s. Betty the human was walking along a remote dirt road in the forest when she found a nest of box turtle eggs that had been overcome by ants. The ants had eaten eaten all but one of the hatching baby turtles–Betty the turtle. Betty the human took the little survivor to Turtle Mom Meredith who took care of her for a time before delivering her to me so that I could care for her until she was older and better able to defend herself from predators like the ants. Betty stayed with me for several years in the nature center and today I have released her into the wild only a few feet from her hatching location. Now that she has grown she will not be eaten by ants–she will eat them!
Good luck Betty!
Thank you Betty and Meredith for saving this little turtle’s life.
Watch the video below of the release of two of the three young turtles. If the video does not show on your computer then just follow this link to my Youtube Channel.
Turtles of Change!
Recently Earthshine Nature Programs Executive Director Steve O’Neil was awarded a very special award known as the “Turtle of Change”
This award is a small bronze statue of a sea turtle.
It is special because it is the only one in the USA and it is traveling all over the world visiting people who are working to make a good and lasting change in the community or the planet.
The turtle called “Turtle Grupo Tortugero” was presented to Steve by the previous recipient of the turtle Alan Cameron. Alan is also known as “The Salamander Whisperer” because of his ability to find endangered Green Salamanders where no one else can find them. Alan has been volunteering with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission for many years and has helped them find thousands of Green Salamander sites all over WNC.
Alan presents Steve with the Turtle of Change.
Steve wrote the following in the Blue Turtle blog:
After receiving Turtle Grupo Tortugero (TSN004) first I took it to meet the education and turtles at Earthshine Mountain Lodge and Nature Center (see last photo). I found four of the turtles who were interested in meeting the turtle–the other seven did not want to have their photo placed on the internet 🙂
Three of the Earthshine turtles are Eastern Box Turtles and one is a Redfoot Tortoise. All of our turtles have either lost their homes due to development, are ex-pets or were badly injured due to unfortunate meetings with vehicles, lawn mowers or dogs. Tripod–on the bottom left–is our mascot. She lost her right rear leg after she was hit by a car in 2007. The turtle to Tripod’s left is Lucky. She was also hit by a car and suffered severe trauma to her left rear leg and shell but she has recovered nicely. The turtle to Lucky’s left is Crash. She was hit by a car and had such severe injuries that I did not think she would survive. After a visit to our veterinarian Dr. Coleman, I patched her up with epoxy, gave her some antibiotic injections and fed her loads of box turtle favorites and she has made a full recovery! The final turtle is Charlie. I found her at a reptile show and felt sorry for her so I gave her a great home at our nature center. Sadly, all of the turtles at Earthshine Lodge and Nature Center cannot be released due to their circumstances. They are however wonderful education animals that help teach people about the wonder and beauty of nature and why animals like the Eastern box turtle need understanding and protection.
After visiting with the turtles at Earthshine Lodge the Turtle of Change traveled with me to a local Veterinary Clinic–Sweeten Creek Animal and Bird Hospital–where I met up with Dr. Lee Bolt and Dr. Ron Davis to assist with the radio transmitter implantation surgery on a Timber Rattlesnake. Take a look at the photo of the turtle on the operating table with the rattlesnake, Dr. Davis (in yellow) and Dr. Bolt. The surgery went flawlessly and the snake has recovered and has been released back into the wild. Dr. Davis will track the snakes movements over the next few years in order to learn as much as possible about the life of the Timber Rattlesnake. The knowledge he gains will be imparted to his students who will become future wildlife biologists, conservationists and naturalists.
The next stop for the turtle was at a remote rock outcrop known as the “Secret Place” on the side of a mountain near Brevard, NC. USA. This rock shelter was used by the Native Americans as evidenced by the petroglyphs on top of the rock. I teamed up with my friend (and didgeridoo virtuoso) John Vorus to play didgeridoo (yidaki) over the turtle in this amazing power place. We first played our yidaki to the turtle on top of the rock then moved down under to the rock shelter and recorded a video. Take a look at the photo on top of the rock and video of our time at “The Secret Place.” View the short video of our concert for the turtle of change here.
The final stop for the turtle (so far) was when it followed me to the office of Dr. Coleman DVM. Dr. Coleman is a wonderful veterinarian and lover of all wildlife and my wildlife vet. I snapped the photograph of Dr. Coleman and the brass turtle while he was treating a wild box turtle. Thank you Dr. Coleman for all that you to for wildlife and for Earthshine Nature Programs!
THANK YOU Alan Cameron for presenting me with this great honor.
View the Turtles of Change website to learn more.
More to come!
Visit Earthshine Nature Programs at: www.earthshinenature.com
Visit John Vorus at www.johnvorus.com
Winter at the Earthshine Nature Center
Take a look at a few of the most recent photos of a few of the inhabitants of the Earthshine Nature Center waiting out the winter.
The first one is of Indi the Blue Tongue Skink basking under her new full spectrum sun lamp that was donated by Nature Center volunteer Amy Lord–THANK YOU Amy! I cannot think of a better way to spend the winter than flat out like a lizard basking.
Now check out Hayward the Gray ratsnake resting in one of the Ratsnake Skyway tubes–isn’t he a beautiful snake!
Take a look at Fiona–our newest snake–a beautiful Royal Python (aka Ball Python). She was donated to us by Savannah from the WNC Nature Center in Asheville, NC. THANK YOU Savannah!
And here is Gandalf the Canebrake rattlesnake resting under his log. (sorry about the dirty glass.)
Check out Penny the Copperhead in her cave.
Finally there is Gollum the Eastern Hellbender who is squeezed into his favorite notch in the rocks. It looks like his is uncomfortable but Hellbenders love to jam themselves in tight crevices–it makes them feel secure.
If you would like to visit all of the animals in the Earthshine Nature Center please drop me an email and we can schedule a time for a visit. –Steve
Earthshine Nature 