Interview with Marguerite Whilden – Question 1

Hi All: As most of you are aware, we are privileged to have on our group an individual who is on the cutting edge of terrapin conservation. Marguerite Whilden is co-founder of the Terrapin Institute, a non- profit conservation organization in Maryland. Ms. Whilden has graciously accepted my request to be interviewed regarding the terrapin’s status in famous Chesapeake Bay. We have agreed to conduct the interview online, question by question so group members can have the benefit of seeing the questions answered as they unfold. Since I have already solicited questions from the group, I’d like to ask that the group refrain from asking further questions of Ms. Whilden during the entire interview period. This is not to say that we cannot have active discussions regarding a response but I would like to avoid redundancy as well as respect her time. If you must post a question, please run it by me first. Thanks and without further ado, let us begin! Question 1: What is the current status of Maryland’s state reptile, the diamondback terrapin?