Maine’s Turtles by Matthew Chatfield

April 10 – Everything you didn’t realize you needed to know about turtles in Maine
Speaker: Matthew Chatfield
Zoom: Available for people not able to attend in person. Click Here

Wood Turtle

Matt with Spotted Turtle

Spotted Turtle

Turtles are somehow so familiar to us—having found a place in many cultures’ creation stories, being featured in countless children’s books, and making Hollywood appearances—yet researchers are only now appreciating their unique biology and ecological roles. They have existed for 230 million years and have proven extraordinarily resilient, even surviving the mass extinction event that killed off the non-avian dinosaurs. Despite our affection for them and their resilience, turtles are facing unprecedented challenges in the modern world and rank among the most endangered vertebrate groups on Earth. Maine is fortunate to be home to many of these beautiful, enduring, and vulnerable creatures. This talk will explore the turtles of Maine—their biology, how to observe them, and what we can all do to ensure their continued existence on our fragile planet.

Matthew Chatfield is an Assistant Professor of Evolution and Eco-Health at the University of Maine where he studies the evolution, ecology and conservation of reptiles and amphibians. He received a BA in Biology from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan. He subsequently spent five years at Tulane University and six years at Unity College. Dr. Chatfield also serves as the Principal Investigator of the Maine Wood Turtle Project.