Turtles Rescued From East Hampton Pond

EAST HAMPTON, NY — Volunteers stepped forward to save some turtles from a pond being dredged in East Hampton.

According to Karen Testa, founder and executive director of the Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons group, said a good Samaritan called to tell her about the ongoing work at Town Pond in East Hampton; he said there were turtles still in the pond.

Mayor Jerry Larson and East Hampton wildlife expert Dell Cullum, among others, met to map out a plan.

Testa said she'd gotten calls from people who were concerned after they'd seen turtles "scrambling" from the site. "They personally saw turtle tracks in the mud," she said.

So far, two turtles have been found; they are more than 50 years old, Testa said.

"This is not a good time to be dredging a freshwater pond," Testa believes. "There are muskrats and tons of wildlife living there and the turtles are hibernating in the mud, making them impossible to find. The only turtles we found so far are dumped pets because the native species knows better and are hibernating as their instincts tell them."

Native wildlife will hide from any commotion, Testa added; turtles that were previously pets are more used to human interaction as they once were in someone’s living room and cared for by humans.

A new meeting will be held Thursday to see where rescue efforts stand, Testa said.

Cullum, who has been at the helm of the mission in East Hampton, wrote about the efforts on Facebook: "You wouldn't believe the number of folks who told us, 'There are no turtles in Town Pond,'" he wrote. "Today, in conditions that weren't favorable to our efforts, we managed to rescue the first turtle and a dozen fish, including two beautiful koi. Now that we executed a working system, we'll be back looking for more tomorrow and throughout the week. We did see more turtles."

Cullum thanked all those who volunteered to help, and the crew on-site, including Lisa-Jae Eggert, Jenn Haagen, Bill Nuss, and Megan Bambrick.

"These folks got cold, wet, and muddy, and their efforts were nothing short of amazing. Mayor Larsen, Trustee Sandra Melendez and Village Administrator Marcos Baladron all came to help in the mud, but it wasn't necessary, so they helped us look for the critters. I believe Sandra actually pointed out the first one," Cullum said.

The turtles will finish the winter at South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center, the fish were transported and released in Hook Pond, one koi was taken for examination and another was relocated to a pond, Cullum said.