The Terrapin Nursery: McWane’s Newest Conservation Win and a Chance Help Us Name Our Hatchlings This Giving Tuesday!

McWane Science Center is proud to introduce our newest living exhibit: The Terrapin Nursery, a behind-the-scenes look at how conservationists give Mississippi Diamondback Terrapins a strong, healthy start. These tiny turtles may be small now, but they play a big role in Alabama’s coastal ecosystems and now you can help support them in a very fun way. 

This Giving Tuesday, visitors and supporters can vote to help name our eight terrapin hatchlings. Each $5 donation counts as a vote toward your favorite naming category, with all proceeds supporting McWane’s conservation and education initiatives. 

Why Terrapins Matter 

The Mississippi Diamondback Terrapin is one of the Gulf Coast’s most iconic reptiles. With its shell’s signature diamond pattern and speckled skin, each pattern as unique as a fingerprint, this species has adapted to thrive in brackish water environments where freshwater meets the sea. 

Terrapins are considered a keystone species in the marsh. By munching on snails and other invertebrates, they help protect marsh grasses that shelter countless fish, birds, and coastal creatures. But habitat loss, predators, and accidental capture in crab traps have caused populations to decline. 

That’s why programs like our Terrapin Nursery, and the researchers who work within it, are so important. 

 

Inside the Terrapin Nursery 

Our nursery is more than an exhibit; it’s a working conservation lab. Here, young terrapins from the Head Start Program are raised in a safe, controlled environment where they can grow stronger and healthier before returning to the marsh. 

• Eggs are collected from nests threatened by predators or habitat disturbance. 

• Hatchlings receive a nutrient-rich diet, from pellets to bloodworms to periwinkle snails, foods they’d encounter in the wild. 

• Their growth and behavior are closely monitored by student researchers. 

• After about two years, they are tagged, tracked, and released back into native habitats. 

Every terrapin raised here represents a brighter future for Alabama’s coastal ecosystems. 

 

Vote to Name Our Hatchlings this Giving Tuesday! 

Our eight hatchlings are growing fast—and they need names! This year on Giving Tuesday, you can vote for your favorite naming theme with a $5 minimum donation. Each category includes eight names, one for each hatchling. 

Bread (Staff Pick) 

Pumpernickel · Challah · Rye · Bagel · Brioche · Cornbread · Toast · Focaccia 

Cheese 

Gouda · Brie · Blue Cheese · Parmesan · Cheddar · Ricotta · Gorgonzola · Munster 

Alabama Waterways 

Coosa · Cahaba · Conecuh · Logan Martin · Little Warrior · Chattahoochee · Jordan · Tallapoosa 

Flowers 

Rose · Lilac · Lily · Poppy · Camellia · Marigold · Azalea · Daisy 

Women in STEM 

Eugenie Clark · Jane Goodall · Chien-Shiung Wu · Vera Rubin · Sally Ride · Rosalind Franklin · Mary W. Jackson · Katherine Johnson 

Your Vote Makes a Difference 

Every Giving Tuesday donation, whether it’s $5 or more, directly supports McWane Science Center’s goal to educate, inspire, and protect our natural world. Your contribution helps fuel hands-on conservation programs, like the Terrapin Nursery, that allow young scientists and families to play a real role in safeguarding Alabama’s ecosystems. 

These hatchlings represent hope.
Your vote represents action. 

Join us this Giving Tuesday to support conservation and cast your vote for the names of our newest McWane residents!