RLEP and the Rappahannock County Library(Co-Sponsors) for the 
4th Monday Speaker Series on the

Turtles are among the oldest, strangest, and most resilient animals alive today, having been around for over 200 million years, they’ve outlived dinosaurs and persisted through multiple mass extinction events. Across the various habitats they call home, turtles offer a number of ecosystem services, acting as seed and fungal spore dispersers, nutrient cyclers, and in some cases even keystone species!

Maxwell Earle, a researcher for the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute will present an interactive program on the ecology and conservation of Virginia’s native turtle species. This program will highlight research being led by the Smithsonian’s Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab in Fauquier and Rappahannock Counties which aims to understand Eastern Box Turtles on working lands. Attendees will learn about the plight of turtles, the conservation efforts being done to protect them, and how they can help support and protect their local turtle populations.

Maxwell Earle is the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for the Smithsonian’s Turtle Conservation Ecology Lab (TCEL) under the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. TCEL is a Smithsonian research program with a focus on freshwater turtle conservation through scientific research, promotion of local and regional stewardship, and community engagement. Earle works with Smithsonian ecologists, state and regional partners, and private landowners to study populations of at-risk turtle species with the purpose of informing conservation practices that protect turtles. Earle received their B.A. in Environmental Studies and Conservation from George Mason University in 2021. Their professional experience has involved surveying various turtle species for long-term monitoring projects, educating K-12 and undergraduates, and leading conservation-focused outreach initiatives.

Attendance at the library is limited to 40 people. Use the link below to sign up to attend in person.

If all seats are reserved, you can participate on Zoom via the link below.