What's Next For Myrtle The Turtle In Beacon Hill Neighborhood

BOSTON — It was a festive and happy unveiling in May when Nancy Schön, of Make Way for Ducklings fame, unveiled bronze sea turtle sculpture in Beacon Hill. The sculpture was a gift, commissioned by the Beacon Hill Garden Club to celebrate 90 years of civic gardening, tours and education in Boston. At the reveal, children paused their running around the park to pose for pictures atop the statue.

A month later, however, was less happy. It turns out the placement of the turtle in the middle of the park, where there's no tree cover, means that the bronze statue gets baked in the sunshine. And that means it gets hot. So hot that parents complained it was burning their little ones, and authorities had to wrap it in a tarp and put a "do not touch" sign on it.

Last month parents called into Boston Public Radio's show lamenting the gift, as hosts asked what folks thought should be done about the art, meant to be similarly used as the Make Way For Ducklings around the corner in the Public Gardens.

A number of concerned citizens posted complaints on the city's 311 app. The Parks Department responded that they were putting a temporary cover (a blue plastic tarp) over the turtle, until a permanent improvement could be put in place.

On Sunday afternoon children were playing in the park, but seemed to avoid the statue as air temperature climbed into the 90s. The turtle was luke warm to the touch under the tarp. A sign on the tarp and nearby posted on a lamp pole warned that it could be hot.

One mother said she's largely stayed out of the discussion, but noted it was a heated debate in the neighborhood. It's a debate that has spread to the 311 app:

Toddlers are still climbing on the turtle. The warning sign isn’t working. This child is sitting on the sign. Please take the art out of the playground.

"Thank you for submitting your request. We currently have a tentative agreement in place with all parties involved to remedy the situation. " - Parks and Recreation

We love the turtle! Please let it stay!

So what is the tentative agreement?

Although one Newton resident running for city council offered to buy it and move it to Newton, the parks department is planning to move it to a section of the playground that already is shaded by trees, according to folks at the Myrtle Street Playground, the turtle will stay put, but will be relocated to a shadier side of the park, and get some new shrubbery and possibly a fence to help protect it from toddlers, according to the Boston Guardian.

Previously on Patch:

'Make Way For Ducklings' Sculptor Unveils 'Myrtle The Turtle