A view of the drained wetland in Springfield. The water mark near the top of the concrete pipes show the normal water level. In this case, animals could not reach the pipes to move from one section of the wetland to the other.

An Open Letter to Mayor Sarno of Springfield, Massachusetts

Below you’ll find a letter written by Michelle Schweitzer, a resident of Springfield, Massachusetts to her city’s mayor, Domenic Sarno. You’ll also see Mayor Sarno’s response, and Turtle Rescue League’s invitation to Sarno and Springfield’s Parks Director Patrick Sullivan to attend the release of Bonaparte, who you’ll meet in this letter, back into his home at Watershops Pond.

What happened at Watershops Pond was a significant event in Massachusetts’ turtle history. Michelle’s letter tells the story well, especially when paired with her photographs.

Cities and towns do drain ponds, and it is not uncommon for the people in charge of those projects to proclaim them safe for wildlife when they know what will really happen – or should know, but don’t.

We urge people who appreciate turtles, wildlife in general, and wetlands to stay aware of what’s happening where they live. Drop in on Conservation Committee meetings and make your voice heard, and pay attention to construction or other projects you see.

Update!

Please join us at Springfield College on 231 Hickory St., Springfield, MA 01109-3717 on July 10 at 1:00pm! This is near their International Hall, and there will be plenty of parking in Lot 6.

Hear more about the event from Sy Montgomery on WGBH!

March 31, 2022

City of Springfield, MA

Attn: Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

Dear Mayor Sarno,

My name is Michelle Schweitzer and like you, I am a lifelong resident of the City of Springfield and a 1981 graduate of the High School of Commerce. I am writing today to bring to your attention the unforeseen negative impact the draining of Watershops Pond (including the Dan Baker Cove and the South Branch and Mill River Wetlands) had on the wildlife, and more specifically, on the turtles that lived there.

Michelle Schweitzer, turtle hero of Springfield, stands with a snapping turtle she rescued from the street as it fled the drained Watershops Pond in Springfield, MA.
A turtle hero and a huge part of Turtle Rescue League, Michelle Schweitzer prepares to transport a snapping turtle that was fleeing Watershops Pond.

My purpose for writing is twofold. First, I’ve heard very limited reporting in the local news about what happened here and I want you to understand the tragic events that took place because the pond was left drained for such an extended period of time, and second, to make you aware of the resources that were expended by both Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and the Turtle Rescue League, which is located in Southbridge, Massachusetts.

My involvement in this situation was quite accidental. I live off of Wilbraham Road near WNEU and I walk around the pond every day. I have been walking this route since 2011. After my husband passed away in 2019, I spent a lot of my time sitting by the pond watching the turtles basking on the branches that hung out over the water. They brought me comfort during a really difficult time.

I’ve taken many photos of the turtles before the pond was drained and I am including a few of those along with my letter.

Turtles bask happily in the sun, high on a fallen log that leaves the water at a 45 degree angle at Watershops Pond before the draining project happened.
Turtles bask on a log high above the water, before Watershops Pond was drained.

At the end of 2020, the pond was drained and according to a story reported by Channel 22 News, Springfield Parks Director Patrick Sullivan determined that the wildlife would be in hibernation and the draining of their habitat “was not a concern.” Admittedly, I don’t know what the anticipated timeline was for this project, or if Covid played a role in delaying the repairs, but obviously the turtles come out of hibernation every Spring as they did during the Spring of 2021.

That is when things took a tragic turn. Each day while out walking, I found several turtles dead in the road, hit by cars. Then came the mass exodus, the day TJO received a call that there were several turtles climbing the banks of the pond and crossing Wilbraham Road. Many had already met their demise after being run over by cars, and that day, TJO relocated approximately 60 turtles. This event would be one of the few I’ve seen reported by a local news organization.

Then shortly afterwards while out on my daily walk I came upon two large snapping turtles walking away from the pond. Another concerned citizen driving by saw this and stopped to help. He took those snapping turtles and relocated them to another area pond. This became a daily occurrence throughout the Spring months until early Fall of 2021. I met a couple at the pond one day as I was trying to figure out what to do with all of these fleeing turtles, and it was that couple, Eli and Desiree, that provided me with the contact information for the Turtle Rescue League.

The Turtle Rescue League is an organization based in Southbridge, Massachusetts, approximately 45 minutes from the pond in Springfield. They are a nonprofit organization with three employees that care for anywhere from 200 to 1,000 turtles at any given time in their facility. Their facility operates as a medical and surgical hospital, an adoption center and educational facility, and there are also several turtles and tortoises that are permanent residents because they are endangered species or because they have suffered severe injuries and are unable to live on their own in the wild.

During 2021 Turtle Rescue League was caring for more than 300 turtles and tortoises with a staff of three. Because they operate this facility solely with funds from donations and by using their own personal funds, their resources are extremely limited. They rely on volunteers and on donations to give their turtles the best care possible. I am providing this context so you will have an understanding of the resources that were expended saving the turtles that were displaced by the draining of Watershops Pond.

Once I had a contact, Natasha Nowick, at Turtle Rescue League, she became my go to any time I found turtles wandering away from the pond. Once contacted, Natasha was required to document every turtle by assigning it a number, documenting where it was found, where the turtle was being relocated to, and then taking photos showing the size and condition of each turtle.

When I found turtles that were too large for me to relocate alone (some close to 50 pounds and estimated to be 80 to 100 years old), I would first contact Eli and Desiree, also Springfield residents. Eli runs an auto body shop on Verge Street and was comfortable handling the large snapping turtles, but he also works full time so there were times he wasn’t immediately available.

Eli, a resident of Springfield, MA, holds a snapping turtle up to the camera. Eli helped to save many turtles when Watershops Pond was drained.
Eli holds one of the many turtles he and Desiree helped to save while Watershops Pond was drained.

My next call would be to the staff at Turtle Rescue League. They would then make the trip to Springfield to relocate the turtles. Not once did they refuse to make this trip even though it took them from their other responsibilities at the clinic. I would stay with the turtle to keep it safe until they were able to get here to relocate it.

A snapping turtle rests its front arms on the edge of a box, as it is waiting to be transported to another wetland after its home, Watershops Pond, was drained. In this comical position, the turtle seems to be asking "what's taking so long?".
A large snapping turtle is (barely!) contained in a box until more help arrives for transport.

As you might imagine, between the travel time and the required documentation, this took up a lot of their valuable time and resources.

Unfortunately, there were several turtles that weren’t fortunate enough to be found before venturing out onto area roads where they were killed by passing motorists. I have photo documentation of many of those turtles that didn’t make it. They range in species, age and size, everything from tiny hatchlings to huge 50 pound snapping turtles. I am enclosing some of those photos. Some of them are hard to look at, but I want you to have a clear understanding of the events that took place resulting from the draining of the pond.

A dead snapping turtle lies face up in the street near the yellow center line. It was one of many dozens killed when Watershops Pond in Springfield, MA was drained.
A dead snapping turtle lays face up in the street after being hit by multiple cars while trying to flee Watershops Pond. It was probably 80 or more years old.

After all, some of these magnificent creatures had spent the better part of a century there. This pond was their habitat, this was their home.

When they came out of hibernation that Spring and the water levels were so low and lacked the resources needed for them to remain there, they were confused by the changes to their environment and were left with no choice but to flee the area in search of the resources they require for their survival.

When all was said and done, there were dozens of dead turtles. Approximately 60 turtles were relocated by TJO and approximately 80 turtles were relocated by Turtle Rescue League and its volunteers, including Eli, Desiree and myself.

A pile of several dead turtles, run over by cars as they fled Watershops Pond. There were so many turtles fleeing, and killed, that they were climbing over each other in the streets as drivers ran them down.
Piles of dead turtles were common because so many turtles were fleeing the lowering waters of Watershops Pond at the same time in the same direction. They were run over by cars.

There were several other Springfield residents that regularly travel through the area who saw what was happening and cared enough to get involved. Those people stopped to watch what we were doing, and some took my contact information and would call me whenever they found a turtle wandering in the road or walking up the sidewalk away from the pond.

I don’t know all of their names, but I can’t thank those people enough for their efforts. It’s because of them we were able to save so many turtles.

Stefan, a resident of Springfield, MA holds a large snapping turtle up to the camera. It's mouth is wide open. Stefan has a beard and his clothes are all red. He is smiling.
Stefan is another person, of many, who spent time and energy to help the turtles of Watershops Pond when it was drained. Here, he holds a very large snapping turtle for the first time.

There were also several injured turtles transported to Turtle Rescue League from Watershops Pond where they received treatment for their injuries. The work didn’t end there, though.

Natasha Nowick and Michaela Conder examine a snapping turtle patient who was struck by a car when Watershops Pond in Springfield, MA was drained.
Natasha and Michaela of Turtle Rescue League tend to the wounds of a snapping turtle that was hit by a car. Tremendous resources were used at the clinic to care for turtles from Watershops Pond as well as all of the others that came in from around the state.

At the end of the season, after the snapping turtles made their nests around the pond and laid their eggs, the nests were located and the eggs were retrieved and taken to the facility in Southbridge where they were carefully placed in incubators until they hatched. Once hatched, the hatchlings were taken to various locations around Massachusetts where they were safely released into undisturbed bodies of water where they had all of the resources needed for their survival.

A snapping turtle emerges from its egg. Someone is holding it above a bin filled with many more hatching snapping turtle eggs. The turtle wears a piece of eggshell like a hat.
A snapping turtle hatchling emerges from its egg. Turtle Rescue League incubated more than 2,000 turtle eggs in 2021, including eggs removed from the banks of Watershops Pond.

I was fortunate to be able to go out on one of the releases and assist in introducing the hatchlings to their new home. What an incredible experience! I will forever be grateful for the assistance Turtle Rescue League provided, and for the continuing friendships I’ve made during this time. I am including in this packet a recent article published in Orion Magazine detailing the wonderful work done at Turtle Rescue League so you have a better understanding of what this organization does. It is a fascinating read and the article is very informative.

Lastly, I would like to share with you the story of Bonaparte. Bonaparte (shown on the enclosed binder cover) is a 45 pound snapping turtle who is estimated to be 75 to 100 years old. He was found at the pond where he was picked up and relocated to Five Mile Pond. Several days later I received a call from Tracy, the Animal Control Officer from TJO. She had received a call about a large snapping turtle that was hit by a car trying to cross Boston Road in front of Siano’s Pizza. It was Bonaparte.

Bonaparte the ancient snapping turtle from Watershops Pond sits in a temporary housing bin at Turtle Rescue League.
Bonaparte, the ancient snapping turtle rescued twice from the Watershops Pond situation, rests in the water at Turtle Rescue League.

Tracy crated the turtle and took him with her back to the TJO facility on Cottage Street. I picked him up there and transported him to Turtle Rescue League for treatment of his wounds which thankfully weren’t too serious.

It’s believed he was so confused by being taken from the only home he had ever known that he just couldn’t adjust to being in an unfamiliar environment. His attempt to flee Five Mile Pond resulted in his being struck by a car and suffering injuries to his carapace (top shell). He has fully recovered from his wounds thanks to the excellent care provided by Turtle Rescue League.

Because of the difficulty Bonaparte had adjusting to an unfamiliar environment, the Rescue decided it best to keep him at their facility until Watershops could be refilled and he could be returned back to his lifelong home.

This turtle is quite a character, and he is loved by the staff at Turtle Rescue League, and everyone else who has had the pleasure of meeting him.

The employees of Turtle Rescue League who were instrumental in saving so many of our City’s turtles are Natasha Nowick, the Facility Director, Alexxia Bell, the President and Chief Clinician and Michaela Conder, Clinician and Media Coordinator.

Natasha Nowick, Vice President and Clinical Director, Alexxia Bell, President and Chief Clinician, and Michaela Conder, Clinician and Media Coordinator for Turtle Rescue League, kneel with Bonaparte, an ancient snapping turtle who lived in Watershop Pond before it was drained.
Natasha, Alexxia and Michaela of Turtle Rescue League saved, treated and rehabbed many turtles who were displaced when Watershops Pond was drained. Here they are with Bonaparte the snapping turtle.

My hope by sharing this information with you, along with the photos, is that it will bring awareness to the tragic consequences suffered by the wildlife that depend on that pond for their survival, and to let you know that the determination made by Patrick Sullivan, Springfield Parks Director, that draining the pond was “not a concern for the wildlife” was inaccurate, and it did not reflect the tragic effects suffered by the wildlife (including many fish) that I personally witnessed.

I’m hopeful that by sharing this information with you we can prevent something like this from ever happening again in our city. It is also for this reason that I plan to share this letter and accompanying binder of materials with several other organizations, including local media outlets, for potential publication.

I don’t know if there is anything that can be done to repay Turtle Rescue League for the time and the resources they expended here saving our City’s turtles, possibly a fundraiser of some type, but I would be willing to do whatever is necessary to facilitate making that happen if it’s a possibility. They are certainly deserving of recognition for their efforts.

It is my understanding that the pond will be refilled by June of 2022. Once that has taken place, the plan is to gradually repopulate the pond with turtles. I’ve learned during this experience that snapping turtles play a big role in keeping the water clean, and that they are misunderstood animals who are actually peaceful unless they are harassed.

Michaela Conder, Clinician and Media Coordinator at Turtle Rescue League, gives the camera a thumbs up, as a snapping turtle she just released walks into the water in a swamp.
Michaela, a clinician and media coordinator at Turtle Rescue League releases a relocated snapping turtle after Watershops Pond was drained.

That said, I would also like to extend an invitation to you. Once the pond has been refilled, we will return Bonaparte to the only home he has ever known. Once a date has been determined for his release, we would love for you to come meet Bonaparte and those that have been caring for him, and to witness his return to our beautiful Watershops Pond. If that is something you would like to do, or if you have any questions or would like to contact Turtle Rescue League directly, I am including my contact information and the contact information for Turtle Rescue League below.

Thank you so much for taking time from your busy schedule to read this letter and review the enclosed information.

Sincerely,

Michelle Schweitzer

Springfield, MA

Mayor Sarno’s Response to Michelle

April 4, 2022

Dear Ms. Schweitzer:

First of all, good health to you and your family. I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your recent correspondence. Thanks for taking the time to write to share your concern with me, and for your dedicated efforts.

Please note, I have shared this information with PBRM Director Sullivan for further review.

Thank you, again, for writing and for your continued belief, support, and investment in our Springfield.

Respectfully,

Domenic J. Sarno

Mayor

What’s Next?

Mayor Sarno and Parks Director Sullivan, all of us at Turtle Rescue League are inviting you to be a part of the release of Bonaparte the snapping turtle back to his home in Watershops Pond. He may be the oldest living resident of Springfield! Come and meet some of the people who helped to minimize the damage this project did, and some of the wildlife that was affected by it.

Residents of Springfield, Massachusetts, we urge you to contact Mayor Sarno’s office at 413-787-6100 and the Park Department at 413-787-6461 and politely urge them to attend on July 10. Thank you!

UPDATE!

Please join us at Springfield College on 231 Hickory St., Springfield, MA 01109-3717 on July 10 at 1:00pm! This is near their International Hall, and there will be plenty of parking in Lot 6.

Listen to Naturalist and Author Sy Montgomery Speak About Bonaparte’s Upcoming Release Event on WGBH!

Sy speaks about Bonaparte and his release event on WGBH’s Afternoon Zoo! Scroll down to Sy Montgomery’s section and hit play! The entire segment is great, but in case you are in a rush, she speaks about Bonaparte first.

Thank You, Michelle!

Michelle’s dedication and endurance during this tragic, long running event has been inspiring. Springfield residents who appreciate wildlife and clean water should be thankful for her strength.

We always look for silver linings at Turtle Rescue League, and in this case, we are grateful that we connected with a wonderful person like Michelle. She has become a vital member and friend here and now helps turtles not just in Springfield, but all over Massachusetts. She also provides amazing updates on patients in the clinic on her Facebook page – check it out!

Thank you to Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control for all of your hard work and dedication!

If you would like to get involved with Turtle Rescue League and learn how to help turtles in your area, become a member!

You can support Turtle Rescue League and all the work we do for our patients and wild turtles with a single or recurring donation of any amount. We rely completely on the generosity of turtle lovers like you!

Donate today

Thank you!