It’s Turtle Time in Talbot by Marguerite Whilden and Jeff Popp Co-Directors of the Terrapin Institute and Research Consortium, Inc. May 2009
Those tiny bursts of white along wooded edges and roadways are reassurance that spring is near. These are the shadbush flowers, and their appearance in late March once signaled the annual return of shad to the Bay. Abundant American shad and its delectable roe became a Lenten favorite in the Maryland Tidewater, but have been off the market for years.
About Terrapin Institute
The Terrapin Institute began in 1998 as a consortium of concerned citizens, scientists, resource managers, and educators dedicated to the understanding, persistence, and recovery of Diamondback Terrapins and other turtles through effective management, thorough research, and public outreach. We work to protect an abundance of adult turtle populations, preserve nesting and forage habitat, and improve recruitment. In return the terrapin has become the perfect metaphor for natural resource stewardship and public engagement; the face of estuarine restoration, and a gateway to the many wonders of our rich tidewater heritage.