Rare Wood Turtles: Ecology & Conservation

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Rare Wood Turtles: Ecology & Conservation

From: Laurie Sanders
Length: 00:05:15

First half of story takes place in field. Nice & sound rich. Depopulation due to human behaviors like mowing are addressed. Read the full description.

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Piece Description

HOST INTRO: Across the United States, many species of turtle are in decline. Wood turtles-so named because their upper shell resembles carved wood-are among these. Today this species, which was once common throughout the eastern United States, is in so much trouble that they're protected in every state in their range. Reporter Laurie Sanders profiles a researcher who's trying to figure out how to help this species recover.

Transcript

LS First Graph: [bird song] It’s 9 am and already muggy as Mike Jones and I head out along a stream in Conway, Massachusetts. [fade to beeping] Standing in the shade of the floodplain forest, the University of Massachusetts’ graduate student lifts an antenna above his head, switches on the monitor, and listens for the signal of the nearest wood turtle. Every other day, Jones and his crew try to check on each turtle in their study, mapping its movements and noting behavior. By nightfall, Jones will have tracked down the exact location of 35 wood turtles, roughly half the number he’s tagged with radio transmitters.

Last Graph: So that’s the bad news, and it’s pretty bad—not even considering habitat loss, predation, water pollution and other things. But Jones is guardedly optimistic. One encouraging sign has been the positive response of landowners who mow their fields not for economic r...
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Timing and Cues

IN: "It's 9AM & already muggy...
OUT: ...I'm Laurie Sanders"

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

HOST INTRO: Across the United States, many species of turtle are in decline. Wood turtles—so named because their upper shell resembles carved wood—are among these. Today this species, which was once common throughout the eastern United States, is in so much trouble that they’re protected in every state in their range. Reporter Laurie Sanders profiles a researcher who’s trying to figure out how to help this species recover.

OUTRO: