The day was definitely chilly, overcast, and the wind coming over the Harlem River made us shiver. Had it not been for Matt Hybel rigging a plastic sheet barrier across the north side of our tent, we would have shivered throughout the day. Were there fewer people in the park than in previous years? Perhaps, but just as many curious people came to the NYTTS tent to see and ask about the turtles on display. Judith Barber, Lorri Cramer, Barbara Daddario, Suzanne Dohm, Matt Hybel, Andrea Ramsey, and Jim Van Abbema helped field turtle questions, and Judith and Andrea gave the kids turtle stamps for their cards. Native New York turtles on display included a diamondback terrapin, a common snapping turtle, a common musk turtle, a wood turtle, a spotted turtle, and an eastern box turtle. Out-of-state American turtles included an alligator snapping turtle, a three-toed box turtle, an ornate box turtle, a red-eared slider, and a yellow-bellied x red-eared slider. Non-native species included a South American red-footed tortoise, a Russian tortoise, and a Burmese brown mountain tortoise.
The event is sponsored annually by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Urban Park Rangers.