My Clearwater
Turtle Rescue
In early July 2021, Skanska site superintendent, Grady
Freeman, reached out to Catherine Corcoran, the
city’s project manager for Imagine Clearwater. He
told her that the small, man-made pond behind the
Clearwater Main Library that was slated to be drained
and demolished was home to several turtles. Concerned
for their wellbeing, he asked how the city would like to
handle removal of the turtles from the pond.
56 MyClearwater
Corcoran reached out to city staff for advice on what
organizations to call for guidance. The manager of
Moccasin Lake Nature Park advised her to reach out to
Kim Titterington of Swamp Girl Adventures, a nonprofit
reptile rescue organization based in Intercession
City, Fla.
“Kim was eager to help us save these turtles,” said
Corcoran.
Titterington said she would complete a species
assessment first, and any non-invasive turtles could be
easily relocated to nearby bodies of water, as long as
they had a clean bill of health.
On July 30, Titterington came to Clearwater, and
Skanska’s team began to drain the pond to make the
turtles’ capture easier. The city’s volunteer coordinator,
Sam Moullet, and Clearwater’s sustainability
coordinator, Sheridan Boyle, joined the effort.
Over the course of the morning, excitement about the
effort grew within Skanska’s team. A few of them went
to their nearby homes over their lunch breaks to get
personal fishing equipment and wading gear to assist in
the safe capture of the turtles.
That afternoon, several turtles were retrieved. In
addition, the team found an eel and some large koi fish
that had been released into the pond by people not
wanting to care for them. After the rescue, Titterington
took the turtles and multiple tadpoles to Prospect Lake
a few blocks away, where they were released together.
Everyone involved was pleased to be able to rescue the
turtles ahead of the demolition of the pond, and it was
a pleasant and out-of-the-ordinary way for involved staff
to spend a Friday afternoon.
The city is proud to recognize that its contractor team
includes people who care about Clearwater’s wildlife
and habitats, and city leaders appreciate the people who
have the forethought to make arrangements for these
animals’ safe relocation.
“Demolition is not just about destruction, as this effort
shows,” said Corcoran.