The habitat at Lake Mansfield hosts a enormous variety of wildlife. Snapping turtles are frequently seen swimming in the lake and laying their eggs at the shoreline. Improvements coming to the lake this year will improve the water quality and shoreline habitat for many animal species including reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Read hear about a successful rescue of an injured turtle at Lake Mansfield.
Great Barrington Land Conservancy advocates for for healthy lake and forest ecosystems at Lake Mansfield. We fund many restoration projects and engage community volunteers to support this important work.
This summer Natasha Perlis, a Lake Mansfield resident, reached out to the Berkshire County Turtle Rescue for help with an injured snapping turtle:
"On July 3rd, my seventeen year old daughters, Lila and Zadie Juska, found Enki by the boat launch at Lake Mansfield. He was so still that at first they thought he was dead, and his left eye was obviously seriously injured. They spent some time watching for any signs of life. When they saw him blink, my daughters called me immediately. I reached out to Berkshire County Turtle Rescue via Facebook. Within five minutes, Tracy responded to me and was on her way over to Lake Mansfield. She was able to rescue him right then and get him the medical care and comfort that he needed. She named him Enki, after the Sumerian god of water, knowledge, crafts, and creation--which seemed like a fitting name for such a gorgeous creature. Enki is between 70 and 80 years old and weighs about 27 pounds. Tracy was also so generous to keep us abreast of Enki's healing process. At first, she thought she would keep him to recuperate for the winter, but she got the okay from the vet that she could release him back into Lake Mansfield today! Tracy's goal is to build a small turtle hospital on her property so she can have volunteers to help her out. She currently cares for the turtles in her home. "
Watch the video of Tracy, turtle rehabilitator, release Enki back into Lake Mansfield.
Learn more about Berkshire County Turtle Rescue
