 Welcome to a Blanding's Turtle Story Walk, written by Melissa Kim and illustrated by Jada Fitch. A Blanding's Turtle woke up after a long winter's sleep. She was cold. The sun warmed her up. She had a busy summer ahead. She needed to find a safe place to dig a nest and lay eggs, so her long, slow journey began. She crossed a paved road. It was hard on her claws. First a snack. This pond was perfect. It was full of tadpoles, one of her favorite foods. Next, it was time to choose a mate. She started to look for a sunny, sandy place to dig a nest. Was this tunnel here last year? It was a fine way to get to that nice marsh. A family saw the turtle near a busy road. Was she lost? They wanted to help her. The turtle did not like the dark basket. This was no place to lay eggs. What now? The family called a nature center. Oops, it was best to put the turtle back in the exact same spot. The turtle found a place she liked. She dug a nest and laid 10 eggs. It took her most of the night. The Blanding's turtle was tired. She took a rest, then went to look for more food. She needed to eat a lot before winter. About two months later, the eggs hatched. Now the baby turtles are ready for their own adventures. Like all turtles, the Blanding's turtle moves at a slow pace. But an individual turtle can travel more than 10 miles in a single season. A Blanding's turtle lays anywhere from 6 to 21 eggs in one clutch. And baby turtles are independent from the moment they hatch.