The wood turtle is a rare species in Pennsylvania, listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologists at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PAFBC), work to conserve these freshwater turtles through a variety of wildlife management techniques. One of the newer conservation tools at their disposal is head-starting, which is the captive rearing of newborn wildlife for a period of time and releasing them into the wild once they have reached a size that will increase their chance of survival. Service supervisory biologist and coordinator of the wood turtle research efforts Chelsea DiAntonio says that "wood turtles (and all turtles in general) have so many pressures affecting their survival whether it be habitat degradation, predation, or total habitat loss just to name a few. Fortunately, we’re able to mitigate most of those pressures through land protection, restoration practices, and habitat management on our refuges. With these boxes checked, adding head-starting of hatchlings to our repertoire was a logical next step to help this species not only survive but thrive. It’s an extremely rewarding act of conservation". 

Head-starting can be a time-intensive process, with multiple feedings of a variety of live and frozen foods and tank cleanings required each week. For turtle caretakers and Service staff Summer Malone and Matt Falteich, the end results are well worth the effort. Biological science technician Malone shares "my favorite part of caring for the wood turtle head-starts is getting to be a part of raising stronger and healthier juvenile wood turtles that have a better chance of survival...giving them this jump start to life and to help this species continue to thrive here in Pennsylvania." The 2024-2025 head-starting program consisted of wood turtle hatchlings from three different nests, which meant there were lots of hungry mouths to feed.

CVNWR Manager Mike Horne knew exactly where to go for recruiting extra help to assist with the head-starting program. Having worked with both schools as an advisor to students on a variety of programs for over twenty years, Horne turned to the students and faculty at Bangor and Stroudsburg High Schools in eastern Pennsylvania for assistance. The opportunity to take part in the head-starting of local wood turtle hatchlings was too good to pass up, and both schools eagerly agreed to participate. Stroudsburg High School science teacher Jim DeRenzis and his students have participated in the PAFBC's Trout in the Classroom program, and for the last decade, have worked with Horne to release their trout fry on the refuge in the Cherry Creek. For DeRenzis, expanding the partnership with Horne and the CVNWR was an easy decision. "Taking part in hands-on conservation projects like turtle head-starting programs provides powerful educational benefits that engage students in both science and environmental stewardship. The benefits of this type of project helps the students build scientific skills like critical thinking, communication, and the students see tangible results of their conservation efforts."

Bangor High School science teacher and Ecology Club liaison Robert Hachtman jumped at the opportunity to incorporate the wood turtle head-starts into his curriculum. "This head starting program has been a lot of fun already and has generated a lot of curiosity and questions from students both in the club and in my classes.  Each day additional students, teachers, and administrators stop by to check on the turtles and see how they are doing.  I have used this process as a way to discuss the need to conserve native species (and) maintain biodiversity." The partnership with Bangor High School and CVNWR Manager Mike Horne goes back decades, with Horne serving as a long-time advisor to the students involved in the Northampton County Envirothon competition and honor society students' research projects. 

Certain students become particularly engaged with the care of the turtles, and at Bangor High School, one of those students is Samantha Cheevers. The personal enjoyment she gains from the project comes from a science-based perspective, as she shares that "I enjoy recording weight each week and observing behaviors.  This allows me to make decisions on how to place them in terms of the aquariums so that the dynamics in each tank are best suited to promote the individual development for each turtle."  Samantha says that the conservation goal is clear: "I believe this work is important to ensure that this species becomes better established in our native ecosystems and has a better chance of competing." 

PAFBC Chief of Natural Diversity and Non-game and Endangered Species Coordinator Chris Urban couldn't be happier with the results of the program, stating that "it's always wonderful to engage our youth in on-the-ground conservation work and bring awareness to our local communities about our species of greatest conservation need." Service biological science technician Malone shares another bonus of the program, as the head-starts are also "really cute to see grow up!" The head-starts are scheduled to be released to the wild in May of this year and with a successful model of care established, the head-starting partnership is planning to double the number of schools involved next year.