Video: Terrapin Release 2024

Check out this video of the University of Maryland's terrapin hatchlings getting a "head start" this year! 

Maryland Environmental Service, representing the @Maryland Port Administration, collaborates with local organizations and schools to introduce hatchling terrapins into classrooms. 

These juvenile turtles, sourced from the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island, are cared for by faculty and students in the College of Education for the academic year. 

The head-starting process accelerates the growth of hatchlings, allowing them to reach the size of a 2-3-year-old wild juvenile terrapin in just nine months. 
Every spring, the terrapins are returned to Poplar Island, where they are released into the Bay. This hands-on learning experience encourages students to actively participate in and comprehend the Chesapeake Bay restoration process.