It seems that spring may finally be here… And its about time! After that long cold winter, I am welcoming it with open arms, even if it means a little rain. The warm weather also means a few things for the KTTC.

One: Turtles that have been here recovering over the winter will soon be released.

Staff and volunteers will soon be working hard to release the turtles back to the wild. Each turtle is carefully tracked during its stay at the hospital to make sure it is returned to the location where it was found. This is done to ensure that local ecosystems are protected.

While the tanks may be emptying out here, they won’t be empty for long because…

Two: As turtle become active again after the winter, we will see an influx of turtles that have been injured on the roadways.

As the weather warms, the turtles emerge to find food, mate, and lay eggs. Unfortunately, this means many are injured and brought to us for help. Staff and volunteers will be here to organize intake, monitor the turtles and assist with surgeries.

Three: It’s fundraising time!

Between releases and intakes, there is lots of work to be done. This means an increase in costs and in the equipment we need. Over the past few months, we have been working on stocking our new facility, and we are now looking at purchasing some items that will help our hospital serve the turtles better. Starting next week, we will begin a crowd-funding campaign to help finance this equipment. Keep an eye out for this campaign starting on Earth Day and help us spread the word!

Four: My internship is coming to a close.

This semester has flown by, and I am sad to say this is my last blog post for the KTTC. You may recall my first post, when I openly admitted I knew NOTHING about turtles. After 14 weeks, I have learned so much and gained such an appreciation for these amazing creatures. I have loved getting to know the education animals and will definitely miss these faces.

I am also so incredibly touched by the amount of support the KTTC receives. The network of members and supporters that sincerely care for this cause is overwhelming. It has been a great experience getting to know you all.

Although I will know longer by living in the area, I be continuing to help out when I can and share KTTC’s message. Thank you for this wonderful experience.

Signing off,

Intern Laura