Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Bye, Squash Squad! 🥹🐢
We recently said goodbye to our endangered Blanding's turtle hatchlings: Acorn, Delicata, Butternut, and Spaghetti (better known as the "Squash Squad").
Each year, we partner with Zoo New England to help raise these tiny turtles through their first winter, giving them a head start before they're released into the wild, where they'll help strengthen wild Blanding's turtle populations.
When these hatchlings first arrived in September 2025, they weighed an average of just 8.6 grams. Before heading home, their average weight had grown to 171.1 grams, an increase of 162.5 grams in just ten months!
Last month, we released two of the turtles back into the wild. The other two turtles have grown large enough to carry radio transmitters, which will help researchers track them after their release. Before joining the rest of the squad, these turtles will spend a few more weeks with Zoo New England to be fitted with their transmitters.
It's always bittersweet to say goodbye, but watching these hatchlings grow and knowing they're getting a second chance in the wild is exactly what the Head Start program is all about! 💚
#HATCH #BlandingsTurtles #SquashSquad #EndangeredTurtles
Bye, Squash Squad! 🥹🐢
We recently said goodbye to our endangered Blanding's turtle hatchlings: Acorn, Delicata, Butternut, and Spaghetti (better known as the "Squash Squad").
Each year, we partner with Zoo New England to help raise these tiny turtles through their first winter, giving them a head start before they're released into the wild, where they'll help strengthen wild Blanding's turtle populations.
When these hatchlings first arrived in September 2025, they weighed an average of just 8.6 grams. Before heading home, their average weight had grown to 171.1 grams, an increase of 162.5 grams in just ten months!
Last month, we released two of the turtles back into the wild. The other two turtles have grown large enough to carry radio transmitters, which will help researchers track them after their release. Before joining the rest of the squad, these turtles will spend a few more weeks with Zoo New England to be fitted with their transmitters.
It's always bittersweet to say goodbye, but watching these hatchlings grow and knowing they're getting a second chance in the wild is exactly what the Head Start program is all about! 💚
#HATCH #BlandingsTurtles #SquashSquad #EndangeredTurtles
