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March Species Madness – Final Four – Match 2

It was a narrow thing — it went into overtime — but our mascot Tophat’s kin, the Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) finally defeated the Spotted Salamander, after the salamander had beaten not one but two participants from last year’s March Species Madness Final Four. Tophat’s kin now stands one game away from the Championship Final. In its way, however, is the highly patriotic Red Maple (Acer rubrum).

The staff and volunteers here at rare care very strongly about the turtles of this area, as do many of our residents. Turtle nesting season, which starts in May and runs into the summer, is a very busy time for staff and volunteers as people call the Turtle Hotline to report vulnerable nests in areas where they’re likely to be inadvertently threatened by human activity. We are well on our way to helping out 10,000th hatchling by incubating their egg and releasing them in the wild. None of this would be possible for the staff and volunteers who put in the time, and the local residents who put in the support and keep an eye out for these creatures.

But what would really protect the turtle’s future is better-protected natural areas where a biodiverse selection of species survive, from the red maple, to the red fox, to the common bumble bee, and even the striped cucumber beetle. Recently, when jokingly asked about the outcomes of these matches, whether we’d send the losing species “off the island”, of course we wouldn’t: we’d send them home. However, the point of March Species Madness is to remind everyone that all these species need a home, and it’s up to all of us to work together to protect those homes. So, please vote in this final four matchup today, and consider what you will do tomorrow to ensure these species remain in our area to compete in future years.

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March Species Madness – Final Four – Match 2

Which species do you favour? The Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) (left)? Or the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) (right)? Cast your ballot below!

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