Once again I am seeking volunteers to help with our diamondback terrapin (DBT) research and conservation project at Jamaica Bay (New York City) in June and July 2015. We have lots of new projects so this is likely to be a particularly interesting year. See our website at http://jbtr.org/.
Volunteer work can be arranged around anyone's summer schedule, including that of NYC visitors, as long as you can commit at least one day/week. Prospective volunteers should contact me via email (bio...@hofstra.edu) or on Facebook thru the Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research and Conservation FB group. Most volunteers decide to come out one or two days/week, others come out for one longer stretch of days or weeks. We train people to follow our protocols; 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. We also go in areas where visitors are not allowed. When you do this, you must be wearing an official terrapin volunteer t-shirt. No one under 17 without a parent or guardian along. Students who return for a second year can arrange their own research project for college credit. We have a good history of publishing papers from college undergraduate projects. You can join us at the Facebook group Jamaica Bay Terrapin Research and Conservation, check out our website (http://jbtr.org/) or email me (bio...@hofstra.edu>) for more information. Dr. Russell Burke Professor, Chair Donald E. Axinn Distinguished Professor in Ecology and Conservation Department of Biology Hofstra University