West Friendship Park Photographs

December 19, 2023: Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today was joined by Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks, elected and County officials, and members of Howard County’s agriculture community at West Friendship Park, to announce the creation of Howard County Government’s new Office of Agriculture.

One-room school, Hebb House parking, McCormick manure spreader.

Threshing machine, pond, beaver dam.

Monarch Waystation, shocks of corn (Richard Orr), birders (Joe Byrnes). Photos by Jeff Culler except as noted.

Watching a Turtle Nest

While walking through a field area of West Friendship Park on June 17, 2008, I came upon a Red-eared Slider that was busy digging in the dirt with its hind legs. The activity reminded me of a Sea Turtle digging an egg pit in the sand. Interestingly the field was extremely dry yet the turtle I observed was clearly working with mud—not sand or dry earth. These photos, starting at 9:52 am, show the turtle digging, settling down (measuring?), and then digging some more. I believe this turtle urinated in the area in order to soften the soil.

–Jeff Culler

The next two photos (taken at 10:39 am on the same day) show the turtle very still and fixed, possibly laying eggs.

The final image shows the pit 26 days later (July 13).