'Save Our Turtles': New Town Signage Urges Motorists To Be Aware

EAST END, NY — As traffic heats up on Long Island during the spring and summer season, turtles are also on the move, searching for mates — and animal advocates are urging motorists to keep an eye out to protect the reptiles.

Karen Testa, executive director and president of Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons, a non-profit organization in Jamesport, said from April until July, thousands of turtles across Long Island search for a protective place where they can mate and nest, often crossing roads and being badly hurt or killed.

To help alert motorists, new yellow-and-black signs have been created, warnings that wildlife advocates hope drivers will take notice of.

The diamond shaped signs include a picture of a turtle, urging people to be aware that they’re in an area where turtles may be trying to cross. Turtles often become roadkill in numerous "hot spots" on Riverhead and Southold town roads, wildlife advocates said.

Turtles are especially active where there are ponds or wetlands on both sides of the roads, Testa said. Testa said that she's spent the last 12 years working to get the signs placed. Testa is a turtle surgeon and passionate advocate; she receives countless calls from people who care about turtles and want signs to set up, she said.

Ron Fisher Signs in Southampton produced the new signs for free, she said.

"For years, people who were concerned about saving turtles would put our signs on their own property," Testa, who cares for more than 100 turtles in the rescue facility on Manor Lane, said.

But just like election campaign signs, Testa's signs had to be removed. So, she began putting the signs on public roads herself, but those, too, were not legally allowed to stay.

"Then I thought — there must be a better way to save our turtles," she said.

In November, one of the founders of the South Fork History Museum, Andy Sabin, arranged a meeting between Testa and the highway superintendents of five towns — Southold, Riverhead, Brookhaven, Southampton and Babylon.

Sabin, who has been passionate about reptiles and amphibians "since I caught my first frog when I was nine, so that’s 70 years," paid for all the signs, Testa said. "Everyone at the meeting was enthusiastic."

Testa gave each superintendent 20 signs and a list of the roads with the highest turtle mortality rate; the locations were identified by Testa after establishing her non-profit 12 years ago, she said.

"A lot of people come out from the city and they’re not aware that turtles are crossing the road. Now when they see our turtle signs, they’ll look for them, hopefully. We’re trying to save all turtles," Sabin said.

The thousands of land and aquatic turtles are coming out of their winter hibernation — an instinctive behavior which protects them until spring, Testa said.

Turtles tend to return to their homes; if seen attempting to cross the road, Sabin encouraged people to pick them up gently and put them on the side of the road in the direction that they are heading.

Sabin said that East Hampton has had wildlife crossing signs for a while and their roadkill rate has decreased; Brookhaven designed their own signs that are reflective and include the logo and phone number of the Turtle Rescue, he said.

"I hope our signs will make a difference. I think people do slow down when they see deer crossing signs. Turtles are down on the ground and people in cars are texting so they’re not always looking. It’s getting worse because with habitat destruction, there’s nowhere for turtles to go. I’m so happy that the towns understand the importance of turtles to the ecosystem," Testa said.

Turtles are Keystone species, meaning if their numbers dwindle, there’s a negative chain reaction affecting other native species, she said.

A few signs on roads in Manorville near Swan Lake, where turtles are active. And signs are going up on Osborne Avenue in Riverhead, just north of the Riverhead Highway Department’s main office.

"There’s marshland near us, and we are trying to help Karen because she has a good cause," said Mike Zaleski, Riverhead Town highway superintendent. "Unfortunately, people speed and they don’t always see turtles. We want to help."

"We hope in general that the signs help people think, too, about the things that are not expected on our roads, whether it’s deer, a domestic animal or a turtle. Hopefully it changes the mindset that we have a lot of critters that live out here — that they’ll slow down and the signs will have a positive impact," said Dan Goodwin, Southold Town highway superintendent.