on their annual summer migration from Middletown’s Pameacha Pond to lay their eggs at a grassy marsh behind the dry-cleaning store. In late summer and early fall, the trek changes direction, with tiny hatchlings making their way back to the pond.
Some of the turtles are smashed by cars during their precarious annual journey, so current employees atdecided about five years ago to start saving as many turtles as they could, including the ones they saw wandering around the store and in the parking lot. “The turtles are quite small, and drivers have a hard time seeing them,” Dionne said. “They’re going to make the journey across the road regardless, so why not help them out? It’s a straight line to the pond, 50 feet from the shop.”