NORTH HERO, Vt. (WCAX) – Echo Leahy Center officials and volunteers took part Wednesday in an annual reptile release that’s become a family favorite event. It’s also what officials say is a small part of critical efforts to bring back the threatened population of eastern spiny softshell turtles.
Buckets in hand, moms, dads, and kids hit the beach at North Hero State Park, helping the Echo Center release baby turtles into Lake Champlain.
“The turtles are our favorite part of the Echo Center. So, we were so excited to release them back to the lake,” said Heather Lovejoy of Weybridge, who along with her sister Ursala Neuwirth — visiting from Wisconsin– took part in the spiny softshell sendoff.
“All the cousins were visiting, so we were really excited for this opportunity because we have some nature opportunities in Milwaukee, but not quite as many as here,” Neuwirth said.
For the last 18 years, biologists at Echo have been collecting turtles found in disturbed nests, rehabilitating them at the science museum over the winter, and then releasing them into the lake.
“What’s important about this program is not only the support for this species, we just released animals that hopefully will mature and start to reproduce themselves. It’s awareness of Lake Champlain and creating and maintaining stewardship,” said Echo’s Steve Smith.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s Toni Mikula says this kind of work is essential to keeping the population — estimated in the low hundreds — alive. “They are only found here on Lake Champlain. They are threatened due to habitat loss. Also, high rates of nest loss from predators like raccoons and skunks. That’s why we take some off the beach every year and bring them to Echo. It’s called head-starting, it gives them a head start on life,” Mikula said.
Echo will start collecting more eggs for next season within the next couple of weeks.