"I Love Painting Painted Turtles" Walking Stick #2 (2025)

It's Painted Turtle Time!

Stick # 2

Walkabout Talk About Stick Project

Location:  Black Rock Sanctuary

953 Black Rock Road

PA-113

Phoenixville, PA 19460

It was all about circles and ovals last Tuesday as I hiked around the wetland paths at one of my favorite local parks – Black Rock Sanctuary in Phoenixville Pa.  The oval-esque pond was filled with little circles of duckweed leaves and there were oval-shaped turtles of all sizes dropping of logs and into the water when I got a little too close. I love the circular pattern that radiates out as they “hop” in. 

As I turned my attention from the pond back to the path, I noticed a dark green turtle digging away on the side of the path making a semi-circular hole in the mud with its back legs. And then as I walked a little farther another, and another!  It was clear that these were painted turtles, because the beautiful edges of the shells were “painted” with yellow and red-orange markings. The head and legs of each were also striped with the same colors.

“It’s egg-laying time,” I thought to myself. Sure enough, as I looped around again, there was a fourth gal passing over the trail. Egg-laying in “painted turtle world” happens from the end of May through June.  These little turtles (laid in soft leathery egg clutches of 4-8) will emerge in 72-80 days. The hatchlings will either be girls or boys depending upon the weather. The hotter the summer, the more likely these turtles are to be female. Having been laid during a week of temps in the high 90’s, you can guess where I’ll be placing my bet.

See you in September gals?

I hope you enjoy hiking with the “I Love Painting Painted Turtles” stick. Please consider sharing your special “Walkabout” story/artwork/poem/musing/photo with the project by emailing me at jchylack@joliechylackstudio.com