This June and July we will once again be welcoming volunteers to help with our on-going diamondback terrapin (DBT) ecological research at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Volunteer work can be arranged around anyone's summer schedule. Prospective volunteers should contact me via email or Facebook (Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research and Conservation group). The volunteer experience varies tremendously between people because of differences in abilities. Most of our volunteers decide to come out one or two days/week, others come out for one longer stretch of days or weeks. Work mostly involves walking thru known nesting areas and looking for nesting DBT, then following a standard protocol for marking nests, capturing DBT, and data collection. Basic training takes a day or two. We mostly need people on weekdays but weekend help is valuable too. We can plan ahead for the probably busiest times when we need most people due to behavior patterns associated with high tide and appropriate temperatures. No one under 16 without a parent or guardian along. It is helpful if you have a pair of binoculars. Volunteers are never more than a 15 minute walk to the Jamaica Bay Visitor Center, which is air conditioned and has water and restrooms.
Russell L. Burke [email protected]
