|
|
|
This is the design all our road signs are based.
|
The Turtle Rescue League manufactures and installs road signs. They are turtle crossing signs. It allows people to see that the area they are driving through has turtles and they may be in the road, hopefully people will slow down and avoid turtles, or stop and help them across.
The signs are 2ft by 2ft and are made of plywood (3/8 thick). We simply paint them bright yellow (exterior house paint), two coats (on the front and at least one on the back), and letter them with a turtle stencil and the words turtle X-ING. They take a little while to make and generally cost us about $5 in materials per sign, not including time and posting expense.
We need people to help make road signs.
Road signs make people think, think about turtles. Even if there are no turtles in the road when they see the signs, it makes them realize turtles are out and about and could be on any other road as well.
|
|
Common snapping turtle Nibbles demonstrates the length of her neck.
|
If you want to make a sign PLEASE DO. Sign production is a time consuming activity down here at the TRL. When people make signs for us it allows us to post more in a given season, saving more turtles. Even if you can't make complete signs, just buying plywood and cutting it down to size is very helpful. A 4 foot by 8 foot piece of plywood will make eight signs.
Contact Us if you wish to make and donate signs or just the wood to make them. If you have completed signs let us know and we can come and get them, or we can give you a place to drop them off. Feel free to post your signs yourself. We all need to look out for the turtles in our neighborhoods and this is a great way to do so.
|
|
We have yet to meet a turtle that didn't love mealworms.
|
Here are a few good tips for road signs: put them up high enough so people won't steal them. Last year we had half of our signs stolen. Put them up so people can see the sign BEFORE THEY REACH THE TURTLE AREA. The faster the speed limit the further back you need to place the sign. Do not post signs on divided highways. It is dangerous (to you) and not effective. It is best to simply contact us if you know of a high mortality spot on a highway.
Do you need a sign in your area? We can help. Email us with the area that needs a sign. If you want to help sponsor a sign area, please do so. It is $20, and we will make and install 2 signs (one for each side of the road). The $20 covers the price of the signs, and the time and gas to go and install them.
|
