SPP Butterfly Coordinator, Courtney Murphy, and WDFW lead the team as they delve into plant identification. Photo by Kelli Bush.
With binoculars and plant ID guides in hand, the team was excited by the rich biodiversity and felt inspired to see checkerspot habitat up close. WDFW works diligently on restoration at Scatter Creek—planting native species that are critical for the Taylor’s checkerspot to use as host plants, for food, and for basking. The opportunity to see the butterflies’ prairie habitat first-hand proved an eye-opening experience for colleagues across the program. The butterfly program technicians at MCCCW work year-round to successfully rear and breed the endangered butterfly in captivity. Through their work with SPP, butterfly technicians learn extensively about prairie ecosystems. For many, this was their first opportunity to see essential native plants like paintbrush and lupine.
Butterfly technicians touch native flowers that make up the habitat of Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies. Photo by Kelli Bush.
Many of the program technicians expressed interest in careers in restoration and environmental studies, and the field visit offered an opportunity to further grow their professional network and gain more information about working in the sciences. WDFW biologists, Andrew Dechaine and Melinda Vickers, shared with the team the diversity of careers paths that can lead to work with wildlife and provided information on upcoming job openings.
SPP Butterfly Technician shows her lupine tattoo next to lupine growing at the restoration site. Photo by Kelli Bush. The MCCCW SPP team from left to right (top row: Shelly Lagroone, Vickie Phillips, Karmen Moen, Dalynn Martinez, Jennifer Teitzel, Alivia Garcia, Courtney Robbins, Theresa Boyer ; bottom row: Trista Egli, Radalyn King, Kennie Calvert). Photo by Courtney Murphy.
DOC Corrections professionals were also able to connect with the SPP team and learn more about the endangered butterfly that their dedicated work helps support, taking that knowledge with them to strengthen the program and support the technicians in their work. The Scatter Creek site visit provided an exciting opportunity for colleagues to build connections with one another and with the prairie habitat that the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly calls home!
By Mikala Waldrup, SPP Ecological Program Coordinator
On Tuesday, April 2nd, the Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) team along with the turtle technicians from Cedar Creek Correction Center (CCCC), The Department of Corrections (DOC) Staff, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff (WDFW) visited the Pierce County Recovery Site to release western pond turtles (WPT) back to their native ponds after treatment from a shell disease. During this field trip, we released 11 turtles that received follow up care from incarcerated turtle technicians at CCCC after receiving acute veterinary treatment. These turtles, a Washington state listed endangered species, were found to have a shell disease that, left untreated, can be fatal. This shell disease is caused by a keratin eating fungus that infects the WPTs and creates lesions and pitting on their shells. These lesions make their normally hard shells soft. Turtles that show symptoms of shell disease are brought to PAWS Wildlife and Rehabilitation Center (PAWS) or The Oregon Zoo for treatment.
Once treated, the turtles move to CCCC for longer term care. The turtle technicians prepared and fed the turtles a varied diet of smelt, mealworms, night crawlers, turtle pellets, mixed greens, and reptile gel. They also provided daily water changes and weekly tank cleanings to prevent possible infections in the turtles’ post-treatment wounds. With daily behavior observations, the technicians quickly learned the personality each turtle had—some were shy and preferred to hide while others were bold and sassy, preferring to bask all day.
During the 2023-2024 season, SPP and the turtle technicians cared for 23 turtles both before and after the turtles received veterinary care. When reflecting on this season, turtle technician Robert Asagai wrote, “Although this was a program/job provided by SPP and DOC, I really enjoyed it and felt that it wasn’t. I looked forward to coming in everyday and doing something that was outside of everyday prison stuff. It felt like a safe place or a place of peace.”
A WPT swimming away upon release.
Below: A WPT being swabbed to see if the shell disease is present post treatment prior to release.
Due to the pandemic, this was the first time the technicians and DOC staff have been able to attend a release since 2019, which added a special element to the day. Prior to releasing the turtles back into their ponds, the technicians and wildlife biologist swabbed each turtle to further study shell disease treatment. The technicians work so hard throughout the season caring for the turtles and ensuring they are recovering from their treatments, and it was so great to have them attend the release. It was also neat to see a lot of the concepts that we were learning about together, such as wetland ecology, in person at the recovery site.
During our visit to the Pierce County Recovery Site, the WDFW wildlife biologist took the team on a tour of the recovery area, and we were able to check on several nest sites that had teeny tiny turtle hatchlings. This was a highlight for everyone to see the next generation of a species we are all working to conserve and protect. Upon release, the turtles swam away and rejoined their population just in time for the summer and the WPT mating season. SPP and the Cedar Creek crew are very happy to see the successful release of the WPTs but will be missing the turtles until the next batch are trapped for treatment next season.
Teeny tiny turtle hatchlings seen at the release site, each no bigger than a half dollar. Photos by SPP staff.
Text by Erica Benoit, SPP Special Projects Manager
In my final weeks working with the Sustainability in Prisons Project, I was lucky enough to interview Susan Christopher, another amazing former SPP Butterfly Technician who actually worked alongside Nichole Alexander during her time at the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW). Susan and I spoke about her experience in the SPP program, the impact she has had on other women struggling with incarceration and/or addiction, and her considerable community involvement.
Susan Christopher (right) assists another crew member in the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program. Photo by Keegan Curry.
Susan’s time in the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program represents an exceptional case in which an incarcerated person remained employed in a program for more than 3 years. This opportunity to work with the species for four total breeding seasons meant she gained extensive experience and skills that have contributed to the program’s long-term success. In particular, she and other technicians at the time developed tracking mechanisms that impressed program partners like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Some of her other accomplishments in the program include giving a presentation to 40 biologists, taking a field trip to see the butterflies in the wild at the Glacial Heritage Preserve, and being interviewed by PBS News Hour about the program.
Susan explains the data tracking systems used in the butterfly program in front of the camera for the PBS News Hour Special. Photo by Kelli Bush.
Susan emphasized the positive impact that being in the SPP butterfly program had on her. She said, “It’s such an amazing program…what it does for our self-esteem, giving us a chance to prove ourselves again, to be trusted and appreciated. To me, it was the most important job in the institution.”
Susan Christopher shows off a Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly to SPP Staff, Emily Passarelli. Photo by SPP Staff.
It was clear from our interview that Susan also tends to have a big impact on the communities around her, whether that is in prison or her outside community. For instance, she served as a peer mentor in prison for women while they were experiencing crisis. She also volunteered in MCCCW’s clothing closet program, which provides professional clothes to women preparing to take their next steps into society. While incarcerated, she taught yoga to other incarcerated women as a therapeutic outlet. Since her release from prison, she has continued this practice with individuals who are in treatment for issues related to addiction. She also shares her story of overcoming her own addiction problems to women’s groups and church groups as a way to own her truth and give people hope.
In addition to these meaningful contributions, Susan has also dedicated her time to providing fun outlets for her community of Bremerton, Washington. While the pandemic has put a damper on many social activities, Susan wanted to find safe ways to connect with her community. With the support of city officials, she has organized numerous family friendly cruise nights and car shows around the area. You can learn more about those events by visiting the Cruisin Bremerton Facebook group.
A still of Susan Christopher welcoming visitors to a car show on September 4, 2020. Video by Canalside Photography and Stan Young.
All in all, Susan told me that over time, she realized her purpose and reason for being in prison was to make a difference in others’ lives. In total, Susan had 57 different roommates while incarcerated. For these women and hundreds of others, she has served as part of their support network both during and after incarceration. Many of them still reach out to her today to tell her how her journey has been an inspiration to them.
Susan Christopher behind the camera photographing cars at a car show. Photography has always been a passion of hers and with some encouragement from others, she has started to sell some of her work. Photo by Everett Allison.
Speaking of her journey since incarceration, Susan feels her successes are on the quiet side, but that is how she likes it. She appreciates getting messages and hugs from those who she has impacted. She said she now feels like, “I am worthy, and I do have a place in this world…It may not be standing up and winning awards, but I have a certain satisfaction now that I’ve never had before. People are watching me, looking up to me, and they appreciate me.” We at SPP see you and so appreciate you, Susan.
Text by Erica Benoit, SPP Special Projects Manager.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Nichole Alexander, former SPP Butterfly Technician, on the 2-year anniversary of her release from the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women (MCCCW). We spoke briefly about the impact of her SPP experience on her trajectory post-release, and even more about her long list of accomplishments in the last two years, including her graduation from Evergreen Tacoma.
Nichole Alexander presents on the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program to a working group in 2018. Photo by SPP staff.
Nichole, pictured above, spent three seasons in the Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program at MCCCW before she released in April 2019. She said the most impactful part of her experience with SPP was the opportunity to work within a tight-knit team of individuals and across federal and state agencies, an experience in which she felt respected and valued. She also spoke to the therapeutic benefits of the program. Speaking of some major life events that happened while she was incarcerated, Nichole said,
“Being able to go out to the butterfly lab every day…the routine of being able to be in a work environment, an educational environment, to actually feel like we are giving back to the community, bettering myself and laying the foundation for my future, my kids’ future, was huge to pull me through some of the worst times that I have been through…I was actually able to find a light within myself in a very dark place.”
In addition, Nichole expressed that her experience with SPP laid the foundation for what she would accomplish next. In particular, she credits Kelli Bush, SPP Co-Director and Keegan Curry, former SPP Butterfly Coordinator, for providing the encouragement and support to apply to the Evergreen State College’s Tacoma campus while still incarcerated to attend post-release. In her opinion, they reminded her that she had potential.
Nichole Alexander and fellow technician Susan Christopher search for wild Taylor’s checkerspot larvae at Scatter Creek Wildlife Area, a reintroduction site for the butterfly. Photo by Keegan Curry.
She then jumped straight into finishing up her last quarter to earn her Associates Degree in Business Administration and Management from Tacoma Community College before starting her Law and Policy degree at Evergreen Tacoma. While pursuing higher education, she has also been heavily involved in giving back to the community. She organized a book drive for the youth residing at the Echo Glen Children’s Center and also worked with World Central Kitchen to provide thousands of meals to the homeless population. Professionally, she has worked for Ventures nonprofit as the Ready for Release Coordinator & Instructor. In this position, she briefly taught business & marketing to the incarcerated women at MCCCW before the program was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, her professional endeavors focus strongly on providing support resources for the unsheltered population around Seattle. She works for REACH as their Waterfront Outreach Care Coordinator, as well as JustCARE’s Street Outreach Program Coordinator. But her work does not stop when she goes home, as she has worked hard to connect her academic studies with the practical reality of what she has witnessed through her jobs.
Nichole handing out meals with World Central Kitchen, while representing the organization she works for, REACH.
Nichole has now successfully completed her undergraduate coursework at Evergreen Tacoma and is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Policy. She speaks highly of the support she received while attending Evergreen and said she cannot praise it enough for how welcoming they were to her. She especially appreciates the patience and support from some influential professors, like Dr. Gilda Sheppard and Dr. Anthony Zaragoza, and essential support staff as she navigated challenges related to re-entering society. Even more, she emphasizes the sense of community gained there. It’s clear that she made the most of her community involvement at Evergreen Tacoma; she helped start the Justice Involved Student Group there. She also spoke excitedly about her dedication and involvement in organizing Evergreen Tacoma’s virtual graduation ceremony in 2020, which was featured in a New York Times article. It was important for her and her fellow coordinators to go out of their way to make the graduates feel that their success was seen and celebrated. To do this, they organized custom gift boxes from a local party supply company, local flower bouquets, and family meals prepared by local restaurants for each of the graduates. The emphasis on supporting local businesses in this effort was especially needed in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. We only hope she is able to feel the same sense of accomplishment at her own graduation ceremony.
Nichole is not planning to slow down anytime soon. She was recently accepted into the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, a recent expansion to the Evergreen Tacoma campus. Nichole plans to start that program this coming fall. She also communicated her plans to address issues within the carceral environment, including efforts to reduce recidivism and connect incarcerated mothers with their children. While incarcerated, Nichole helped organize the annual Girl Scout Beyond Bars (GSBB) sleepover to visit their moms at MCCCW. In particular, she helped connect the visiting girl scouts (including her own daughter) with the SPP butterfly program where they got to participate in fun activities that helped them earn badges! She continues to be a GSBB troop leader and expresses the importance of these opportunities in connecting girls impacted by incarceration with their mothers. In addition, WA Corrections recently featured Nichole and her daughter in a story about the importance of parent teacher teleconferences, a hopeful sign for future endeavors related to this effort.
Nichole shows her daughter, Brooklyn, around the SPP Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly program at MCCCW. She said it was so fun to bring her daughter to work because she had the coolest job in the world!
Speaking of the differences in her journey before and after incarceration, Nichole said “If you hear my history, for that person there’s no hope…Then to sit in the meetings that I sit in…and to work with the people that I work with today, there’s no ceiling. It’s unstoppable where you can be and how you can give back.” With that outlook, we know there are many more great things in store for Nichole Alexander, as well as those her life and work impacts.
by Ashley McElhenie, SPP Prairie Conservation Nursery Technician. Ms. McElhenie created this in response to a call for writing on “science in prison.”
Ashley McElhenie, front left, re-seeds containers of prairie plants during a work session in 2018. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.
I first heard about the prairie conservation crew from my roommate’s friend. She and the other women on the crew were going to be released in a couple of months and they wanted to find hard-working, nice individuals to take their places. I guess I just so happened to meet the criteria, and did not like my job at the time so I gladly jumped at the opportunity. Not only was it not in the kitchen, but it was summertime and I’d be working outside all day. I could work on my tan and probably lose some weight — there was no downside to this new job.
Violets
Viola praemorsa is one of two violets grown for seed production at the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW). Due to its bright yellow flowers it is also known as the canary violet. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
Viola adunca seed pods are green and curled up like an umbrella when they first emerge. As the pods mature, they become white and the stems stand up straight in preparation for explosion. Viola praemorsa (pictured above) does not have the same telltale signs making the scavenger hunt a bit more challenging. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
My first day I remember transplanting numerous Viola
adunca into rows of beds. They were a pretty purple flower that did
something for a butterfly species but that’s all I knew. As time went on, we
began learning a little more about the violets and what our purpose was for
growing these endangered native plants. It was kind of cool thinking I’m
restoring areas of these native plants, being a Washington native myself, but
that was about the extent of my interest.
It wasn’t long before I started going out to the Viola praemorsa beds on weekend mornings. I took a particular interest in these violas because they had a large seed pod with seeds that varied from a golden color to a deep brownish purple color. With a cup of coffee in hand and music player in my pocket, I’d spend hours tending to the beds and harvesting seed pods. The only problem with these seed pods is if you wait too long, they open up and shoot seed everywhere.
Viola praemorsa is less common than its bluish-purple cousin. This violet is only found in western North American oak savannahs and oak woodlands. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
It became a ritual to me. Each day was like a scavenger hunt looking for these seeds before they exploded and we lost our product. Because of the exploding seed pods, the Viola praemorsa would often end up in the Viola adunca beds and vice versa. I began to notice the differences between the two plants and after a while could easily identify which plant was a “weed” in the other’s bed. I was surprised to find out how different two plants from the same family could be; the Viola praemorsa with its single, fuzzy lead sprout or the Viola adunca with its clustered, small leaf bunch. Being in the violet beds became a refuge from the crazy living units.
Oaks
Garry oak acorns ready for planting. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
Quercus garryana, or Garry oak, growing in the nursery at WCCW. It’s the only oak native to Washington. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
When I learned we were going to plant Garry oak trees (Quercus garryana) working on the conservation nursery crew became even more personal for me. The island on which I was raised has a lot of oak trees. Prior to my incarceration, there was a bit of backlash when the city wanted to remove the oldest and probably most notable oak tree in town. The tree’s roots had long been affecting a nearby road, but I didn’t want the oak to be cut down. It was a beautiful old tree that was a block away from the heart of downtown. It was a tree memorable from my childhood, the old oak by the post office. Despite the locals protesting, the tree was eventually cut down. A giant stump was left behind. Not only was it an eyesore, but a constant reminder of what is now gone. To my knowledge, the road has yet to be fixed and my town lost some of its history.
In the nursery, I felt that I could honor that oak’s memory, in a way, by planting 50 or more oaks that would live throughout the South Sound area. Being a part of that was small personal victory for me. I wanted to learn all I could about them.
Learning more
In the wintertime there is less manual labor to do so we focus on learning about the native plants with which we work. We learn how to identify these plants, the type of soil composition specific to our area and plants, the species that these plants affect, and how those species benefit from the plants. It was all so fascinating. I had never thought about plants as something more than food or landscape. It was rather humbling to be aware of this entire other system in which I was completely oblivious to.
Ashley (orange hat) and her colleagues study remnant prairie at Wolf Haven International. Photo by Ricky Osborne.
The following spring, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to visit a prairie in where my work had been transplanted while still incarcerated. It was absolutely beautiful. The way all these native plants cohabited with one another in an seemingly untouched landscape of green, speckled with colors of blue, orange, yellow, and white as far as I could see. I don’t think I had ever appreciated nature more than I had that day. And it was an especially proud moment knowing that the plants I had grown were contributing to the landscape. During that day I remember drawing a weird parallel, that the restoration work I had been doing in the South Sound prairies was restoring me.I had been replanted, sprouted, grown, and was soon to be released into society.
At Violet Prairie Seed Farm, SPP Nursery Manager Carl Elliott (black vest) and Conservation Nursery Technicians Ashley McElhenie and Samantha Morgan discuss growing Lomatium triternatum. Photo by Ricky Osborne.
I can’t take full credit, though. The people who I’ve worked alongside have been some of the best people I’ve met in years. The people I worked most closely with on the prairie conservation crew treated me as an equal, despite being incarcerated. They had faith and believed in me. Over time, I started to have faith and believe in myself. This program has taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and which goes way beyond knowledge of prairie plants. It’s taught me more about myself and things I am capable of. While learning about prairies, I was able to rediscover the values and principles I had prior to my incarceration.
For so many years I was so focused on destructive behaviors, whether it was my own or others’. Working with endangered plants gave me a different way to channel that energy. I was able to do productive activities that benefited people, animals, and plants. It gave me a sense of worth knowing that what I was doing made an impact on so many levels. No matter how small that impact may be, I knew it was a positive one.
Pictured here, Ashley is showing off the impressive runners of another important prairie plant — wild strawberry (Frageria virginiana). As Ashley moves closer to her December release date, she is all smiles. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
By Carly Rose, SPP Curriculum Development Coordinator and Emerico, Gardening Curriculum Author
Gardeners tend to the soil in the gardens at Monroe Correctional Complex – Washington State Reformatory Unit. Incarcerated authors at MCC-WSRU are working with SPP to author chapters on Vermicomposting, Bokashi Composting, and Soil Science. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.
For the past six months, gardeners at Stafford Creek Corrections Center and Monroe Correctional Complex – Washington State Reformatory Unit have been helping to build the new Gardening Curriculum. To develop course chapters, authors are combining expertise gained through personal experience with knowledge from scholarly research. Authors are working on a voluntary basis: they elect to share based on their desire to explore and describe a particular topic; some of the chapters currently in development include Vermicomposting & Bokashi Composting, Soil Science, the Soil Food Web, Planting and Harvesting Vegetables in Prison, Seed Saving, and Aquaponics.
Developing part of a curriculum while incarcerated requires some creativity. In order to submit materials, authors have provided handwritten work that is then typed and formatted by myself. One author types his work into JPay (social email) and mails it to a family member who mails it back, which gives him a pre-typed manuscript to submit. Most authors also provide their own illustrations and diagrams to be included in the chapter. Authors use a mixture of narrative from personal experience, tips on gardening that are specific to a prison environment, and college-level scholarly research to produce their work. They provide instruction that is created by and intended for incarcerated gardeners across the country. Authors and I send materials back and forth so they may provide feedback and edits on separate drafts of their work. One of the authors, Emerico, offered a personal narrative on his motivation to learn and write about his topic, Aquaponics.
Introduction to Aquaponics by Emerico
I first became interested in aquaponics after reading a few articles and watching some educational television programs. I was working on the gardening crew at Stafford Creek and when the gardening classes started, I was thrilled to be included. Over time, I have learned every person—incarcerated or not—has a purpose in life. My purpose was building an aquaponics system with no budget. I had to lose my freedoms before I could find my purpose in life. This is where aquaponics all began for me. I had an idea, so I put it to paper and talked to the garden supervisor about the idea.
One of my first jobs on the garden crew was working with the hydroponics system. I found out that this type of system, which requires chemicals to grow plants and vegetables, is expensive and I believe far less healthy. My goal was to get away from using chemicals and go to more of a natural resource system. I thought about a way to build a small-scale aquaponics system that uses fish to feed the vegetables. After many attempts to get it approved, and with the help of the garden crew, we built a recycled materials aquaponics system. The first part of the vision of my idea came to life.
This is part of the aquaponics system built by Emerico, who is authoring a chapter on Aquaponics. He explained that he wants the chapter to be accessible to both incarcerated gardeners and low-income families outside of prison. Photo by Jacob Meyers.
There is a sense of satisfaction when growing your own vegetables whether for self/family or others. I believe also that gardening can relieve stress. This country is blessed; there should not be anyone going hungry. We see too much senseless hunger in our country and throughout the world. There must be a solution to this problem. How can we do this? By making people aware and teaching them that aquaponics is not only a healthier way to grow produce, but is also cheaper. Aquaponics saves money in the long run for people and their families, and is a fun way to bring families together in the garden.
As for me, it is all about giving back and helping those in the community and throughout society that are less fortunate. The purpose is to get a finer perception of aquaponics through research. Anyone can pretty much build a small-scale aquaponics system with a limited budget and few resources. I hope this brief overview has helped you. Above all else, have fun.
From his lab notebook, Emerico shows a diagram of the aquaponics system. Photo by Joslyn Rose Trivett.
Next Steps
The course is projected to pilot in winter of this year. The two teams of authors plan to be part of that process as well; they will be among the first to try out the new program. Their feedback during and after the trial run will help us further refine the course, and then be ready to share it statewide and beyond.
All of the authors have personal experience gardening in prison, working on projects such as this garden at Stafford Creek Corrections Center. This garden is tended by individuals serving a life sentence, and is known as the “lifer’s garden.” Photo by Ricky Osborne.
Unless otherwise noted, text and photos by Bill Anglemyer, Evergreen student and former Turtle Technician.
SPP Biological Technician, Jeramie Inge, and Evergreen student, Bill Angelmyer, with a western pond turtle. Photo by Marisa Pushee.
With the technicians responsible for their rehabilitation, on
April 10th, ten turtles made their way back to the ponds at the South Puget
Sound Wildlife Area. Three incarcerated Biological Technicians working for The
Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) had spent the last five months caring
for the turtles and monitoring their progress. The turtles had been healing
after being treated for the mysterious shell disease that has been afflicting
their population.
Left to right: SPP Liaison Tyler Kennedy, SPP Biological Technician Donald McLain, WDFW Biologist Emily Butler, SPP Biological Technician Jeramie Inge, and SPP Biological Technician William Rathgeber. Photo by Marisa Pushee.
The turtles are western pond turtles, a state-listed
endangered species. The historic population had been devastated by human
harvesting. Their numbers were lowered additionally by habitat destruction and
an influx of invasive species. Twenty-five years ago, the population of western
pond turtles in Washington State was estimated to be only around a hundred and
fifty. Efforts were taken to protect and enhance their numbers. These efforts have
been successful. The current population is estimated at eight hundred.
SPP Biological Technician Donald McLain releasing one of the western pond turtles he cared for at Cedar Creek. SPP Biological Technician Donald McLain releasing a western pond turtle. From left to right: WDFW Biologist Emily Butler, SPP Biological Technician William Rathgaber, SPP Biological technician Donald McLain, SPP Conservation Coordinator Marisa Pushee, and SPP Biological Technician Jeramie Inge.
Tragically, the shell disease appeared in the last decade, and it is seriously impacting western pond turtles. While Washington State Fish and Wildlife biologists and veterinarians attempt to find the cause of shell disease, they are trying different tactics in treating the turtles that are most afflicted. After the treatments, which involve removing diseased sections of the turtles’ shells, the turtles need a place to heal. The technicians at Cedar Creek make sure that the turtles are well-fed and have clean habitats. Additionally, the technicians keep detailed records of the healing progress of the turtles’ shells. Lots of effort goes into keeping them as stress free as possible. The rehabilitation area is kept quiet because loud noises and other external stimuli cause stress in the wild turtles, which hampers their ability to heal.
WDFW Biologist, Emily Butler, demonstrates how she protects the nests of this state-endangered species. From left to right: Bill Angelmyer, SPP Biological Technician Jeramie Inge, SPP Biological Technician William Rathgaber, SPP Biological Technician Donald McLain, Officer James Erwick, WDFW Biologist Emily Butler, and SPP Liaison Tyler Kennedy.
Releasing the turtles back into the wild was a fairly simple
and fanfare-free procedure. The technicians, SPP coordinator, SPP liaison, corrections
officer, Fish and Wildlife biologist, and myself walked the strategically
placed wooden planks that grant access to the edge of the pond. The plastic shoebox
containers that were used to transport the turtles were opened, and the turtles
taken out and gently placed in the water. Most of the turtles looked around for
a second, as if to gain their bearing, and then swam off disappearing into the pond.
Although the turtles need the treatment, they are wild critters, and they don’t
like to be in a captive environment; they
take to the murky pond like a prisoner to freedom.
WDFW Biologist Emily Butler shows Biological Technicians from Cedar Creek how she identifies each turtle. WDFW Biologist, Emily Butler, demonstrates how she protects the nests of this state-endangered species. From left to right: Bill Angelmyer, SPP Biological Technician Jeramie Inge, SPP Biological Technician William Rathgeber, SPP Biological Technician Donald McLain, Officer James Erwick, WDFW Biologist Emily Butler, and SPP Liaison Tyler Kennedy. Photo by Marisa Pushee.
It was a great experience seeing the turtles swim off into
the pond. It was great to talk to the technicians about their experiences
caring for the turtles. To hear the technicians talk about their plans for the
future was inspiring. This is because I was a turtle technician at Cedar Creek
for three years. I was caring for turtles inside the prison only a short year
ago. The current technicians seemed to be inspired by my presence too. We
talked about education—I’m currently in college. I was elated to hear that each
one of the technicians was seriously considering furthering their education
once released. I hope to be invited to future releases and to meet with new
technicians.
Left to right: Donald McLain, William Rathgaber, Jeramie Inge, and Bill Anglemyer. Photo by Marisa Pushee.
Emily Butler, Biologist with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), delivers this year’s western pond turtles to Cedar Creek.
Biological Technicians George Gonzalez, Donald McLain, and Jeramie Inge help the turtles settle in.
Biological Technician, Lorenzo Stewart, examines the effects of shell disease on one of the turtles.
Upon arrival, and before technicians transfer them to their new homes, the turtles are offered an appealing snack of prison-grown mealworms.
A state listed endangered species, the western pond turtle struggles with a shell disease. Each year, wildlife veterinarians at Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) treat afflicted turtles. Technicians at CCCC then care for, feed, and monitor the turtles through their recovery period. In the spring, they will be released back into their habitat.
Lorenzo Stewart labels each enclosure.
The turtles at Cedar Creek have access to underwater and basking areas, both heated to comfortable temperatures for the turtles. While their surroundings are kept simple and clean during their recovery, it is important that the turtles have hides where they can escape for some privacy. This enclosure features two hides, one for each of the turtles.
The turtles are typically housed two per enclosure, for companionship. Technicians monitor each pair to ensure compatibility.
CCCC has been caring for western pond turtles from the Puget Sound region since 2013. The biological technicians have the program running smoothly and efficiently.
Awfully good to hear from you! And wow, you want me to just keep it down to a few sentences??!! Tell you what. I’ll just give you my thoughts and you can pick and choose what you want to include in your report.
Expert Beekeeper Marc Von Huene (left) works with incarcerated beekeeping students in the field. Photo by Nancy DeWitt.
As I had never worked with inmates before I had to overcome a lot of my preconceived ideas. It’s a sad fact that many of us (my previous self included) envision inmates as those guys we see on Law and Order doing really bad things. It leads many of us to believe that they deserve to be in prison, the longer the better. But that’s so far from the truth that I’m ashamed to admit it. These are people that lost their way for any number of reasons – bad influences, bad home life, questionable friends……. And rehabilitation is absolutely the best option. I’m glad I could play my small part. I think giving these guys something to nurture and be proud of is a great way to bring out the caring people that are in each one of them.
As an audience, they were fantastic. I’ve never made presentations where the focus was as intense. And I feel my short time with these guys is totally inadequate to turn them into good beekeepers. The barriers are many – no direct communication, no internet access, limited equipment and supplies, limited time together. But they try, and even though we’ve had some pretty big failures, we still learn together.
This next year I’ll get out earlier and work to spend more time with the new batch of inmates. Hopefully the old hands will pass down their knowledge to the newcomers.
There was a lot of interest in my SRCI activities from officers in the Treasure Valley Bee Club, and the president of the Western Apicultural Society invited me to share my experience at their annual conference this last August. The presentation went well, and was definitely a break from all the professors and specialists giving the majority of the presentations. For most of them the presentation was a lot of data interspersed with stories. For me, the presentation was a story interspersed with data. It was the story about what I learned from working with the inmates and hopefully, what they learned from me. The title of my presentation was “Beekeeping Behind Bars”, and I know I opened the eyes of a lot of participants. Afterwards I had a lot of people come up to me and compliment me for the presentation and the work I was doing. Several volunteered to come out with me the next time. Yeah, it was good.
In closing I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity. I really wish I was closer to the facility, but we’ll make it work. The effort is definitely appreciated by the inmates and they deserve no less.
Hope this is enough for you. Stay in touch and let me know if you need anything else.
By SPP SCCC Conservation Nursery Coordinator Graham Klag
Fall colors continue to take flight at Stafford Creek Corrections Center through the artistic talents of conservation technician Michael! Inspired by SPP lectures and nursery work, Michael’s artistic illustrations of the Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speryeria zerene hippolyta) captures the beauty of prairie conservation work. The Early blue violet (Viola adunca) is grown at SPP Prairie Conservation Nurseries for the Oregon silverspot butterfly.
The Early blue violet is the sole host plant for the caterpillar of the butterfly who needs to eat ~ 250 violet leaves to complete its life cycle. Michael and the conservation technician crew at Stafford Creek continuing to grow their knowledge of Washington and Oregon’s prairie ecosystems, while out growing the Early blue violet, for the habitat and lifecycle of Oregon silverspot butterfly. SPP is thankful for our conservation technicians’ work and artistic inspiration!
As an audience, they were fantastic. I’ve never made presentations where the focus was as intense. And I feel my short time with these guys is totally inadequate to turn them into good beekeepers. The barriers are many – no direct communication, no internet access, limited equipment and supplies, limited time together. But they try, and even though we’ve had some pretty big failures, we still learn together.
