Our Box Turtle Conservation Project
Rescue. Rehabilitate. Release. Track. Learn.
Something exciting is happening at Dino Buddies.
In partnership with Gorman Heritage Farm and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Dino Buddies is participating in the ROBOTS Initiative — Repatriating Ohio's Box Turtles — and helping give rescued Eastern Box Turtles a chance to return to the wild.
But their story doesn't end when they're released.
That's actually where the next chapter begins.
MORE THAN AN ANIMAL ENCOUNTER COMPANY
Dino Buddies was built around a simple idea: getting people excited about animals creates opportunities to teach them why those animals matter.
But education has never been where we wanted that work to end.
Our goal has always been to grow Dino Buddies into an organization capable of contributing directly to wildlife conservation.
Today, that means our team isn't only bringing reptiles into classrooms, libraries, birthday parties, and community events.
We're caring for wildlife.
We're participating in field research.
We're supporting native species monitoring.
We're creating opportunities for students and future wildlife professionals to gain hands-on experience.
And we're putting the resources generated by our educational programs back into conservation.
Our Eastern Box Turtle Project represents an important step toward that future.
Meet Our Turtles
WHERE CONSERVATION MEETS AGRICULTURE 🐢🌱
Dino Buddies × Gorman Heritage Farm
Wildlife conservation and agriculture are sometimes treated like two separate worlds.
We believe they can—and should—work together.
Healthy farms and healthy wildlife depend on many of the same things: healthy soil, clean water, thriving ecosystems, responsible land stewardship, and people committed to caring for the world around them.
That's what makes our partnership with Gorman Heritage Farm so special.
Together, we're creating a place where wildlife rehabilitation, agriculture, conservation, education, and community involvement can exist side by side.
Gorman provides habitat, rehabilitation space, and fresh produce grown right on the farm. Dino Buddies brings specialized reptile husbandry, wildlife monitoring, fieldwork, conservation education, and a team committed to seeing these turtles through every stage of their journey.
From the food they eat to the land they'll eventually call home, agriculture is part of their conservation story.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO CARE FOR SIX BOX TURTLES?
A lot more than filling a food bowl.
Our team provides hands-on care for six adult Eastern Box Turtles housed at Gorman Heritage Farm.
Their care happens throughout the week and changes with their needs and the seasons.
🥬 NUTRITION
Box turtles are omnivores, and providing an appropriate diet means offering variety.
Our turtles receive foods including earthworms, roaches, other appropriate invertebrates, fruits, berries, vegetables, and fresh seasonal produce provided by Gorman Heritage Farm.
Our team monitors what each turtle eats, what they prefer, and changes in their feeding behavior.
💧 SOAKING & HYDRATION
Regular access to clean water is essential.
The turtles receive scheduled soaks throughout the week in addition to having access to water in their habitats.
And yes—some of them get very excited about soak day.
⚖️ MONITORING
We don't just look at a turtle and decide that it "looks okay."
Our team monitors and documents things like:
Weight • Appetite • Activity • Behavior • Hydration • Seasonal changes
Those observations help us recognize changes and build a record of each turtle's progress.
🏡 HUSBANDRY
Habitats need to be cleaned, maintained, and adjusted as conditions change.
Our team manages substrate, hides, water, feeding areas, sanitation, enrichment, and seasonal husbandry while preparing the turtles for the natural rhythms they would experience in the wild.
🧤 BIOSECURITY
Caring for wildlife also means protecting wildlife.
Dedicated supplies, gloves, sanitation procedures, and strict separation from other turtles help reduce the possibility of disease transmission.
This is particularly important because our ultimate goal extends beyond the six animals currently in our care.
We're also protecting the wild turtles they may someday live alongside.
THE PLAN: REHABILITATE. RELEASE. TRACK. 🐢
Our goal is simple: prepare these turtles for a return to the wild.
Right now, our six Eastern Box Turtles are being cared for by the Dino Buddies team at Gorman Heritage Farm. Throughout rehabilitation, we're providing their daily husbandry, nutrition, hydration, monitoring, and seasonal care while preparing eligible turtles for eventual release.
Back to the Wild 🌳
Our plan is to release eligible turtles at Gorman Heritage Farm, allowing their story to come full circle. The farm that supported their rehabilitation will also provide the habitat for their return to the wild.
But release isn't where our work ends.
Follow the Signal 📡
Released turtles will be fitted with trackers, allowing our team to continue locating and monitoring them after release. We'll be able to follow their movements, check on their activity, and learn how they're using the landscape at Gorman.
And in 2027, We Want You to Join Us! 🔦
Our goal is to turn this project into something the community can experience alongside us.
Beginning in 2027, we hope to host Box Turtle Tracking Night Hikes at Gorman Heritage Farm, where families can join Dino Buddies in the field, learn how wildlife tracking works, follow turtle signals, and help us locate our released turtles.
It's a chance to learn about Ohio wildlife, experience conservation in action, and follow these turtles from rehabilitation all the way back to the wild.
Want to follow one turtle's journey even more closely?
🐢 SPONSOR A TURTLE →
