9:00am - Our fieldwork is now complete and I fly back to Connecticut this afternoon. It has been a very busy and productive week. As I leave, I get a chance to reminisce about my career.

7:30am - We are on the road heading to Orlando. I have to stop by the Orlando Science Center to pick up a Florida box turtle. This specimen was the first turtle I ever hatched out. It hatched April 6th, 1991 when I was 18 years old.

6:00am - Up early to pack up for a trip to the Rainbow River in Dunnellon, Florida. We are meeting up with Dr. Peter Meylan with Eckerd College. Dr Meylen has been researching the turtles on this river since 1991. A few times a year he comes to the river with a large group of students.

8:30am - Day five of Suwannee cooter fieldwork continues. This morning George is giving a presentation to the Sun City Audubon chapter on our work surveying the distribution of Suwannee cooters in the southern portion of their range.

8:00am - We are packing up gear this morning to back to the Little Manatee River. Our survey on Tuesday did not turn up any Suwannee cooters even though we have reliable evidence that they are there. We will be putting in kayaks upstream and paddling down river for about 6.5 miles. It is another clear and sunny day so the outlook for seeing turtles is excellent.

6am - Last summer's fieldwork documented the Suwannee cooter on the Pithlachascotee River, which was a new river and new county record for the species. This morning George and I are headed to the Anclote River, the next River to the south.

8:45am - George and I are headed to the Little Manatee River to confirm the presence of Suwannee cooters. This is the second day of our week long survey of three River. We hope to follow up with yesterday's success. Check back throughout the day for updates.