Maryland men’s basketball program hosted a slew of media for its annual Media Day at XFINITY Center.
Sophomore Melo Trimble and freshman Diamond Stone garnered quite a bit of attention from reporters from around the DMV and the country. But it was their reptile counterparts who may have been the stars of the show.
The Maryland men’s basketball program teamed up with the Terrapin Institute, a non-profit organization based in Neavitt, Md., to promote the conservation of diamondback terrapins within the state of Maryland. In addition to 10 hatchlings, the Institute brought two ‘college-aged’ terrapins – appropriately named Diamond and Melo.
The diamondback terrapin is a signature species to both the state of Maryland, as well as its state university – the University of Maryland. Traditionally, it has been one of the most prevalent species to inhabit the Chesapeake Bay in Northern Maryland, a body of water that serves as an integral part of the state’s ecology.
About Terrapin Institute
The Terrapin Institute began in 1998 as a consortium of concerned citizens, scientists, resource managers, and educators dedicated to the understanding, persistence, and recovery of Diamondback Terrapins and other turtles through effective management, thorough research, and public outreach. We work to protect an abundance of adult turtle populations, preserve nesting and forage habitat, and improve recruitment. In return the terrapin has become the perfect metaphor for natural resource stewardship and public engagement; the face of estuarine restoration, and a gateway to the many wonders of our rich tidewater heritage.