It was a gruesome scene at the rail trail in Marion by the Mattapoisett town line at the end of Industrial Drive. Several turtles – spotted and eastern box – lie upon the trail, their shells crushed flat, cracked open, with the guts of their bodies spilling out from every direction after being run over by an ATV.
Although the use of motorized vehicles is prohibited on the trail, someone is riding their ATV on the rail trail and has gone so far as to smash through and damage a metal gate at the beginning of the trail in order to gain access for the illegal ATV use. As a consequence, the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission is installing another metal gate to keep the offending ATV rider(s) out and has also called on local law enforcement to put them on alert.
Yelena Sheynin, head steward for the Sippican Lands Trust and member of MOSAC, said the police departments of Marion and Mattapoisett have been notified of the need for increased surveillance of the site.
Sheynin described the carnage she happened upon last month as horrific, awful, and upsetting beyond belief.
Graphic photos of the turtles run over by ATVs show the disturbing nature of the injuries the turtles sustained, and Sheynin wondered if the ATV riders aimed specifically for the turtles because the turtles are large enough to be spotted from a distance where the ATV could safely avoid contact with the turtles. According to Sheynin, one turtle familiar to the area was 49 years old and laying her eggs at the time the ATV crushed her.
Sheynin said The Bay Club has also had issues with ATV riders, adding that she plans to meet with representatives from The Bay Club to hopefully coordinate efforts to either catch the culprits or increase vigilance in order to stop it.
“They know who is riding their ATVs, and plan to crack down on the illegal entry,” said Sheynin.
The Eastern box turtle is listed as a vulnerable species of “special concern” by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) and illegal to kill or capture. The NHESP identified ATV disturbance of nest sites as one of the reasons the turtle is under threat.
If you have any information about illegal ATV use at the Industrial Drive rail trail site, you are encouraged to notify either the Mattapoisett or Marion Police Department.
By Jean Perry
