We met this lass while walking around the high school one evening.
My first thought was that eliminating the Morse Code requirement has definitely broadened the amateur radio population, but it turns out she’s part of the Hudsonia Blanding’s Turtle study. Perhaps the new construction around the school has opened pathways for her to explore the world.
She seemed to be looking for a way up-and-over the curb to return home. We figured she was big enough to figure this out on her own and old enough to have done so many times before, so we left her to her own devices. When last seen, she was chugging along the curb at a pretty good clip.
Listen for tag 123122 (or 817) on 150.888 MHz… she’s running AM QRP with a bad antenna.
Update: It’s hard to tell with turtles, but it’s a girl! When I reported the tag number to Hudsonia, they said “817 is one of our old-timers; we’ve been tracking her for at least 10 years now.”
Go, turtle, go!
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 