2015–2016 Meetings Return to NYTTS Home Page


Annual Turtle and Tortoise Show
Held Saturday, June 4, 2016, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak
35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, New York

See winners and photos



Annual Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day
Held in Inwood Hill Park, Saturday, May 7, 2016, 12:00–3:00 p.m.

New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. From falcons and salamanders to deer and seals (and of course, turtles), wildlife viewing oppor­tunities exist year-round in all of our parks and beaches. Urban Wildlife Appreciation Day is spon­sored by the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation and the Urban Park Rangers. NYTTS participated for the seventh year in this event. Exhibits included squirrels, raccoons, coyotes, skunks, eagles, live birds of prey, and turtles provided by NYTTS.



NYTTS Meeting — Michael Musnick and John Foley
Held Sunday, April 3, 2:00 p.m.
Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew
West 86th Street and West End Avenue in Manhattan

Download flier for this event (PDF)

“Wood and Box Turtle Study in the Patterson Great Swamp”
by Michael Musnick and John Foley

Long-time NYTTS member and citizen scientist Michael Musnick has spent the last 14 years studying wood and box tur­tles, and this is his 11th season follow­ing them with radio tracking equipment. His main interest has been to determine where they hibernate, estivate and nest. He has monitored their yearly survival, and nesting site fidelity, repro­ductive fitness of females, with special focus on juveniles as indicators of recruit­ment. He has examined reasons for mor­tality and has made efforts to stem that loss.

Co-presenting this talk was John Foley, also a member of NYTTS, who has worked closely with Michael on this study for the last seven years and has shared responsibility for collecting the data on wood, box, and bog turtles. John is cur­rently head naturalist at Great Hollow Nature Preserve, an 825 acre wildlife sanctuary in Fairfield County, Connect­icut. He has also worked with the Con­necticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

A number of members and new faces showed up at our new meeting space and thoroughly enjoyed Michael’s and John’s presentation. However, because technical problems prevented videos from being shown, we are presenting one of the key videos here — this one from NPR’s “Science Friday” entitled “Tiny Turtle Bridges”:


(Click triangle arrow to start video.)


The title slide

Michael Musnick and John Foley

Attendees at the meeting

Photos by Anita Salzberg



Annual Turtle and Tortoise Seminar
Held Saturday, October 24, 2015
Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak
35 Alexander St, Yonkers, NY 10701

See photos and abstracts.



Review meetings in 2016–2017.

Review meetings in 2015–2016.

Review meetings in 2014–2015.

Review meetings in 2013–2014.

Review meetings in 2012–2013.

Review meetings in 2011–2012.