Save the Turtle Project
See who is saving turtles below!

Lets see how many of these defensely and charming little creatures we can save from being smashed on the road this year. One goal might be to see if all the club members collectively can save more then Gene Teaney can save by himself! The club is planning on having one gift at the end of the season to be given to a randonly chosen club member who has saved a turtle. "PbP Pottery is also donating 25 "turtle" mugs to be given to the first 25 members who report saving a turtle this year. These mugs will have a relief of a turtle on the outside and have been created specifically for this project. The first ones completed are shown at right..

Box turtles are long lived, but slow reproducing animals. Long lived if they make it across the road safely that is. They are also very slow in general and basically have no capacity to avoid being hit by vehicles while crossing roads. Kill rates on interstates are 95% or better. What is 30-45 seconds out of your ride to stop and move a turtle across the road if you may be extending their life 10-25 or even 50 years? This year $50 has been donated to give to the rider that saves the most turtles during the season. Lets see how many turtles we can save collectively this year! Just a few simple rules to follow.

• 1. Stop in a safe manor that does not endanger other riders and vehicles.
• 2. Move the turtle to the side of the road in the direction the turtle was heading. If he is facing to the left side of the road, move it to the left. Otherwise he will just turn around and try to re cross the road and you have put him at greater risk than before. In the photo at left, the turtle is just starting on the pavement and should be taken to the opposite side of the road.
• 3. Dead turtles don’t count.
• 4. It does not have to be a club ride, you just have to be a club member. All rides count - group, individual, club and non club.
• 5. This is done on the honor system.
• 6. Monthly totals to be submitted on by the 15th of the month to dbiker@mindspring.com so the club totals can be kept and posted in the Spoke Notes and web page.
• 7. Mugs will be distributed as they come available.

It is safe to handle box turtles by picking them up by their shells. It is not recommended that other turtles, especially snapping turtles, be handled by persons without prior experience. Snapping turtles can reach around to the side of the bodies with the beaks. Picking them up solely by thier tails can break their spine. By grabbing thier tail and placing you hand under the shell and lifting is the recommended way of handling a snapping turtle.

Click to learn more about the Eastern Box Turtle.

2010 Saves as of July 1, 2010.

• David Bray - 23
• Tom Miller - 1*
• Nora Miller - 1*
• Dan Neal - 1
• Harry Bruner - 4
• Jay Stevens - 1 *
• Mary Shultz - 1 *
• Gene Teaney - 117*
• Kenneth Young - 1
• Linda Brison - 1 *
• Dale Porter - 6
• Tabitha Jones - 5*
• Kate Dobson - 2*
• Bill Shultz - 1 *
• Amos Perrine 18
• Roger Stewart 1
• Ed Hauldren 1
• John Fleet 4

Total 189
* Received Turtle Mug.

2009 as of September 23, 2009

• Gene Teaney - 211
• Mary Shultz - 6
• Tora - 10
• Dale Porter - 21
• Dee - 1
• David Bray - 14
• CD Duncan - 2
• John Maher - 8
• Ken Cooper - 1
• Courtney Flint - 1
• Casey Robinson - 4
• Cindy Fisher - 10
• Jack Burke - 1
• Amos Perrine - 23
• Tom Dover - 8
• Tabitha Jones - 2
• Kenneth Young - 2
• Total - 325

2008 Totals.

Reported as of: November 1

Tora 11
CD Duncan 4
Dale 15
Geane Helfeich 7
Jay Stevens 3
John Fleek 1
Mary Shultz 5
Gene Teaney 59
Susan Stafford 2
Mark Johnson 1
B&C Stewart 2
Tracy Wayne 9
Ron Clair 8
Kenneth Young 2
Dennis Strawn 2
Ed Weiss 2
Amos Perrine 11
Jerry Conrad 1

Total 145