NJ Kindergarteners Release Terrapins With Wetlands Institute

STONE HARBOR, NJ — Stone Harbor kindergartners headed into the marsh Tuesday as The Wetlands Institute held its annual Terrapin Release with the kindergarten class from Stone Harbor Elementary School.

The June 3 event in Stone Harbor also marked the start of several terrapin releases planned for this season.

Roberta Dean, the retired teacher who began the partnership with the Institute 35 years ago, attended the program.

Institute mascot Scute joined the event as students helped coax 17 young diamondback terrapins into their natural habitat. Before the release, Dr. Lisa Ferguson, director of research and conservation, and Brian Williamson, a research scientist, showed students how to gently hold and safely release the animals. They also taught the children the “turtle handshake” and explained how the young reptiles will grow and survive in the marsh.

According to the Institute, the eggs came from female terrapins killed on roads during the 2025 nesting season. The team salvaged those eggs and cared for and hatched them in special incubators under permit by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Staff from Stockton University in Galloway Township and Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania, raised the hatchlings over the last year.

Teachers and students across New Jersey who take part in the Terrapins in the Classroom program also provided what the Institute described as “head-starting” care, allowing the hatchlings to grow larger than they would have over the same period in the wild.

“This terrapin release connects our research, conservation, and education efforts aimed at promoting appreciation for and protection of coastal wetlands,” said Dr. Lenore P. Tedesco, The Wetlands Institute executive director. “Terrapins play a critical role in our coastal ecosystem, supporting life on Earth. However, they face road mortality, habitat loss, and nest predation.”

Students wore turtle T-shirts given by the Wetlands Institute staff and presented the team with a large mural of terrapins in their salt marsh habitat, complete with names they chose for their turtles. They also gave staff $300 raised through turtle cookie sales. Sturdy Savings Bank presented a matching $300 gift, which The Wetlands Institute described as an annual tradition.

“Part of our broader Terrapin Research and Conservation Program, the event creates a lasting experience for these future stewards of the marsh. It also highlights the support and partnerships that help fuel our mission,” Tedesco continued. “I’m so grateful for our visitors; Board members; individual, corporate and local business donors; partners; volunteers; interns; and our dedicated year-round and seasonal staff.”

“This annual event represents the power of community coming together for conservation for over three decades,” shared Ferguson. “It was extraordinarily special to have Roberta Dean, retired kindergarten teacher, who suggested the Institute partner with Stone Harbor Schools back in 1991, along with current teacher Brie Schenck. We’re not sure who has more fun – the students or the staff.”