Letter: Houses will impact terrapin nesting site

Posted 1/9/19

To the editor:

Lot 3A directly abuts a 75-acre upland/saltmarsh peninsula and which extends into the Barrington River and Hundred Acre Cove estuary. The 6.5 undeveloped lot contains a freshwater …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Letter: Houses will impact terrapin nesting site

Posted

To the editor:

Lot 3A directly abuts a 75-acre upland/saltmarsh peninsula and which extends into the Barrington River and Hundred Acre Cove estuary. The 6.5 undeveloped lot contains a freshwater pond and wetland stream that connects directly to the highly significant estuarine habitat.

The largest nesting population of Rhode Island-endangered Diamondback Terrapin is found on this upland site and the surrounding marshes. In early summer some of the female turtles travel as far inland as Lot 3A and the surrounding area to lay their nests in its sandy soil.

The Land Trust sponsors a yearly population study of these turtles, completing its 29th year in the summer of 2018. The all-volunteer study group is a state-leader of these studies and provides assistance to other groups, as well as being an important educational tool for Barrington students of all ages. Town ordinances prevent the use of the refuge for dogs, horses and non-farm vehicles on the property.

Lot 3A is a connector of open spaces, stretching from the refuge to the Palmer River.

Such land provides a connecting path for deer, coyotes, foxes, turkeys, fisher cats and others. Connectors of open space are vitally important to our state and our community. A principal goal of the land trust is to preserve these areas for the benefit of the health of our natural resources. More houses and people will interrupt this pathway, as well as disturbing the nesting turtles.

Ideally, there should be no development on lot 3A; its best use would be for farming, that has little impact on the terrapin nesting; though both plans would be detrimental to the turtle population, the first one at least would provide a bit more green-space.

If this project continues into the spring, please come to see the hundreds of terrapins nesting at the refuge – June 1 to early July – on sunny mornings. It is an amazing display of Barrington’s natural resources!

Charlotte Sornborger

Barrington

Ms. Sornborger is leader of the Barrington Land Conservation-sponsored Terrapin Population Study of Nockum Hill and Hundred Acre Cove.

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.