As expected, no new evidence of terrapin activity was observed during our road mortality survey this week. We documented four road-killed birds that were not in a condition that allowed identification to species level, as the carcasses had been run over too many times. We await for hatchlings to begin emerging, and hope to encounter them alive and well when they do.
Litter removal
We're happy to announce that we completed our first hour of litter cleanup here and will complete at least four more hours thanks to funds that have been raised so far. We picked up beverage containers, fast food bags, snack wrappers, chewing tobacco canisters, plastic bags, cigarette butts, small plastic parts from cars, and lots of other miscellaneous debris. Noelle held the bag while I used our new trash picker (purchased with funds from our GoFundMe campaign) to remove litter. During the hour, we filled up an entire 30-gallon trash bag, but covered just 0.1 miles of one side of the 1.23 mile-long causeway. At this rate, with this level of trash, it would take nearly 25 hours to remove litter from both sides of the entire causeway. We're up for the challenge!
Conversation with CT DOT
On Tuesday, I spoke on the phone with the Transportation General Supervisor for Connecticut DOT District 3. I expressed concerns about the amount of litter that accumulates along the causeway, how it can be seen collecting in the marsh and wildlife refuge, and how tidal currents likely carry much of it into Long Island Sound. He was very receptive and informative. I learned that DOT does conduct regular cleanups at our weekly survey location, but they simply do not have the staff or resources to keep it clean all of the time or be as thorough as they'd like to be. Litter accumulates here quickly, and they have many other locations that need regular cleanups as well. DOT staff noticed that we were out there on Monday, and the supervisor was supportive and encouraging of our crowdfunded cleanup efforts.
He also acknowledged need for communication to the local community regarding the severity of the issue as a way to reduce littering. We're starting to think about ways we can do this. We have plenty of photos and video clips to share. There is a well-established culture of littering throughout much of the world. This is a difficult thing to change, but anything that can be reasonably done toward this end should be done, as it will result in a healthier planet for people, animals, and plants to live on.
The DOT District 3 General Supervisor also mentioned that they are continuing discussions with CT DEEP Wildlife Division about reducing terrapin roadkill here. They had talked about the potential for specialized fencing to keep terrapins out of the road. If that works out, it could be a great solution. I also explained to him that the three culverts along this causeway are not conducive to wildlife passage. When the tide is high and coming in, the culverts are completely submerged and water drains through them fast enough to generate whirlpools that likely suck turtles and fish right through. When the tide is out, the water level is below the bottom of the culvert. If these culverts were replaced by small bridges, terrapins could easily swim through at any time and would be less likely to need to cross the causeway itself.
Fundraising
We were grateful to receive two $25 donations since our last post. Currently, we're at $580 of our $7,320 goal and far behind what would be an ideal timeline for fundraising. We will keep pushing forward and welcome any suggestions for reaching wider audiences and garnering more support. Feedback of any kind is always welcome. More funds are needed to ensure that we'll be able to conduct our weekly survey through October and remove more litter. After speaking with DOT and learning how quickly litter accumulates here, I'd like our litter removal efforts to be continuous. I've saved the litter we've collected so far, and have plans to sort through and categorize it this fall. Understanding what types litter are present will help us determine the litter sources and ultimately the best ways to stop it. We also have several other potential terrapin hotspots that we've been hoping to get to, but don't have the funds to cover mileage or justify the use of time. Continued weekly surveys at our site in Fairfield County are the current priority. There's also much more I'd like to do as far as communicating and analyzing the data we've been collecting, but we have not raised enough funds to enable me to spend 20 hours a week on this work. Campaign-funded work began on July 20th; we've posted a report on our 2020 Schedule & Budget page for anyone interested in how we've been using our time and rationing funding so far. If you'd like to donate, any amount is greatly appreciated! If you've already donated or aren't in a position to donate, sharing our campaign is also a big help! We appreciate anything you can do to help us achieve our goal.