Jun 28 2008
Helping Turtles Cross the Road
When driving and cycling the roads each year, I’m discouraged by all the dead animals I see, and I do whatever I can to prevent them from being killed by motor vehicles. Most of the time, this means saving snakes, frogs, or turtles. It’s easy to lift snakes with a stick or bike pump and carry them to safety. Frogs are more difficult, but generally I can corral them to the sidelines. In many ways, turtles are the easiest to move. They don’t move as quickly as frogs, and they’re not slithery like snakes. But that doesn’t mean you can just lift them any old way. Snapping turtles, in particular, require special care. Neither you nor the turtle will benefit if you’re bitten and the turtle is dropped to the ground.
To learn how to handle turtles and safely help them cross the road, read our new instructional page called, unsurprisingly, “Help Turtles Cross the Road.”
Paddlers, cyclists, and hikers are always at the mercy of the elements, and that’s true even in summer. When the sun shines and the wind takes a rare break, we’re on easy street. When the atmosphere is in turmoil, however, we pay the price. Sometimes dense fog leaves us wondering where we are. At other times we’re chilled to the bone by a cold rain. Or we feel the wind’s invisible fist pounding relentlessly against our chests as we struggle to cross a big lake or cycle long distances. Often we can tough it out. But at other times it makes sense to take the easy option. Day trips can simply be cut short. On overnights, you can linger in camp, sheltering under a tarp or tent, while drinking and eating your fill and catching up on your sleep, snug and safe in the warmth of your cozy bag.
