October 14, 2023
MATTS Members-only Picnic to be held at Ray's house - starting around 4 pm. MATTS members will be invited via email.
November 4, 2023
National Aquarium tour for MATTS members. More information will be provided about this amazing opportunity to tour the Aquarium. A select few will be able to tour behind-the-scenes sections of the Baltimore Aquarium and its sister location.
Other Events of Interest
MATTS Meeting Schedule
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Saturday, October 7, 2023 @ 7PM EDT - General Membership Meeting via Zoom. Check your member email for sign-in credentials. If you wish to attend and you are not a MATTS member, please email us at matts.inquiries@gmail.com. The meeting's topic will be "Turtle Race Talk." Our speaker is Alex Heeb, a software developer and a dedicated amateur naturalist living in St. Louis , Missouri. He has been working with box turtles in a research capacity since age 15. In 2019 he founded the Turtle Conservation Group, which is an organization on turtle conservation in the Midwest. One of the key focuses is on reducing the harm caused by turtle races. If you attend a county fair, Summer time Holiday Celebrations and other events you are likely to bump into a turtle race. They may seem harmless but they involve the collection of large numbers of wild turtles, in particular box turtles. Most events involve a few dozen turtles but some large turtle races have been known to have as many as 600 box turtles entered. Participants often have little knowledge of turtles, leading to poor husbandry and the relocation of turtles following the race. In this talk, Alex will explain efforts by tye Turtle Conservancy Group to document and mitigate the impact of turtle races throughout the country. He will talk about the history of this issue, how turtle races became so widespread, and explore attempts to help turtle trace organizers develop a conservation ethic.
.Saturday, May 6, 2023 @ 7 PM EDT - General Membership Meeting in person at Christian Temple-Disciples of Christ Church. MATTS member, Mia Dubin, will speak over “Zoom” on her recent Internship from November to May working with rehabbing Sea Turtles. She worked with three species of turtles: Kemp’s Ridley, Green and Loggerhead providing care for injuries from boating, fishing and cold-stunned turtles. While studying as an Intern she also provided daily lectures to visitors about her work.
Saturday, March 4, 2023 @ 7 PM EST - General Membership Meeting in person. Lisa Szollosy will discuss "Turtle Injury Triage." The talk will start off with a focus on Wildlife Rehabilitators and their responsibilities, and boundaries rehabbers have in treating animals/reptiles. She'll discuss the challenges caused by the limited number of rehab professionals and centers accepting turtles, and the process by which apprentices become Master Rehabilitators.
MATTS meetings are open to the public. We look forward to having you attend! All meetings are held on Saturdays at the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks Banneker Museum in Catonsville. Please check the schedule to determine whether a meeting will be held in-person or virtually.
The Banneker Museumis located at 300 Oella Avenue in Catonsville, Maryland. The museum is located on 142 acres of stream valley woodland. The park is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife habitat and the preservation of the natural history of the land. This historic park features panoramic nature trails, archaeological sites and living history areas, which recreate the colonial farm and life of the Banneker family who purchased the land in 1734.