Help Us Rescue and Release Baby Turtles!

Hi! I am Peggy Anne Detmers, a retired wildlife biologist. I and my hubby, Joel, have been rescuing injured turtles, and their eggs, throughout the Black Hills of SouthDakota under the supervision of our SD Game, Fish, and Parks. What was a very rare occurrence, is becoming more common place as turtles move to find permanent bodies of water when our droughts have dried up their ponds. We need financial help with food, housing, travel and vet bills. Most of our rescues are eggs that we sadly harvest from road killed turtles or where turtles lay their eggs where human developments are being built.

We have been hatching the eggs, rearing the babies for a year, and then we are to release them back into the water source their deceased mom had crawled out of. We have also taken in turtles that have been slightly injured on the road that our veterinarian has been able to save. So far we have saved western painted turtles, ornate box turtles, and the common snapper.

Please help us save these turtles who are battling more predators and road injuries as they roam in search for new homes and better nesting sites.