I'm Coyote Peterson.
And it's always been my belief
that the future conservation
begins with the next generation
of animal enthusiast.
That's why each episode, I'm taking kids
just like you for the adventure of a lifetime.
We'll be going to some of the coolest locations
where we will explore unique habitats
and go behind the scenes at wildlife sanctuaries
to get up close and personal with some of our planet's
most incredible species.
Together, we'll brave the elements,
embrace the wild,
and witness the unforgettable.
So lace up your hiking boots and buckle your backpack
because we're about to embark on a wild fieldtrip.
[music playing]
COYOTE:
I have loved the wild world of animals
but the place that truly sparked
my love for adventure was here,
the Holden Arboretum.
Located in Kirtland, Ohio,
it probably hails as one as one of the largest
in the United States.
Spanning more than 3,600 acres,
it provides a sanctuary
for some of this area's most iconic
wetland creatures.
Joining me on today's adventure is Hadley Hofbauer.
HADLEY:
and I think it's really cool
> that it gets < to be on the show.
Not a lot of kids get to experience this,
it's just really extraordinary.
Oh, hey, it's Coyote.
COYOTE:
growing up in Ohio
and while I know she has caught
more than her fair share of frogs,
today I'm hoping to get her up up close
with some of the wetland's more elusive species.
ASHLEY: For Hadley to be a part of
we hope it's a positive influence
on all the other girls who might also be interested
-in nature. -JIM:
how she wants to get out on the field
and catch snapping turtles and snakes with Coyote
and, uh, to be able to have this come to fruition is,
is pretty special for her
and we know this is going to be an experience
she will never forget.
COYOTE: To be kicking off the
at the Holden Arboretum is incredibly meaningful to me,
when I was a kid, I spent a lot of time
exploring the grounds, getting up close
with the animals that live here.
It's almost fair to say that without the Holden Arboretum,
there would not be any Coyote Peterson.
So today, it's going to be extra special.
Now I see that Hadley's ready to go,
let's meet up with her
and get the adventure started.
Good morning, Hadley, how are you?
-Good. -Bam, blow it up.
Okay. So are you ready for a big adventure?
-Yeah. -Now before we embark
out into the labyrinth of trails here
at the Holden Arboretum,
it's important to know that we're gonna go
on a pretty big journey
and with a big journey,
you often times need a well-constructed map.
So with us today, I have the Holden's map.
I'm gonna open this up here
and you see all those bodies of water?
-HADLEY: Yeah. -COYOTE: These are our chances
to find some of the native species and our goal
is to sort of climb up the food web, right?
This chain of prey to predator animals and with any luck,
we're going to come across a snapping turtle
and if I can catch it, this is going to be
one of the craziest adventures you've ever been in.
-You're brave, right? -Yeah.
-You ready to go? -Yeah.
Let the adventure begin.
I got a little cove that comes in here to the edge of the pond
which gives us great access to water.
We wanna sneak up as quietly as we can
because this can be a spot to find...
-A frog? -COYOTE: Or painted turtles.
So I really want for us to see
a painted turtle because...
-they're really cute. -They're way cuter
than snapping turtles.
So seeing one of those first
is going to be extremely important, okay?
-Yeah. -You ready?
-Uh-hmm. -COYOTE: All right.
Do a little stealth mode, real quiet.
Okay. I see a painted turtle in a really good spot
-that we could possibly catch. -HADLEY: Oh.
-COYOTE: You see it? -HADLEY: Yeah.
COYOTE: All right. Hadley, I'm gonna make a jump
and a scoop with the net.
Oh, I missed him.
No, I didn't.
-I got him! -HADLEY: Yeah.
COYOTE: Second scoop is the charm.
With all those plants, it's really tough
to just catch him with your hand like that.
And that's a baby painted turtle.
Okay, so Hadley come on in right here.
-Look at that. -HADLEY: Oh, it's so cute.
-Amazing, right? -[chuckles]
COYOTE: So this is a painted turtle
and this is one of the coolest turtle species here in Ohio.
Is that not the cutest turtle you've ever seen?
-Yeah. -COYOTE: So these turtles
are omnivorous which means
that they eat a whole big variety of things
in the ecosystem including tadpoles,
little tiny fish, and even plants.
So when we snuck up like that, this turtle was eating
the little bottoms of the lily pads
and a lot of times turtles will tuck into their shells
but this turtle seems to be
pretty gregarious and very friendly,
and it does have sharp little claws but I feel like
this is something that's totally safe for you to hold.
-Would you like to hold this... -Yeah.
-...super cute painted turtle? -How do I hold it?
COYOTE: So if you just hold on the middle of its shell
like this with a good--
there you go, you got it?
Oh.
-COYOTE: Pretty cute, huh? -It's so cute.
COYOTE: Now what do you notice about this turtle
tell me what this turtle's like.
Well, it's very strong,
-very colorful. -COYOTE: Uh-hmm.
The color on the bottom of it
-looks kind of different. -COYOTE: Uh-hmm. So...
the turtle shell breaks down into two parts,
the carapace which is the top of the shell
and the plastron which is the bottom of the shell.
It's light so something's coming up from underneath it
like a snapping turtle, the snapping turtle
might not see it and then it wouldn't get eaten.
Because look at the bottom.
COYOTE: Yeah. The bottom of the lily pad
kind of looks like...
the bottom of the turtle shell.
Good observation.
Should we see if this little turtle can bite my finger?
-Yeah. -COYOTE: You wanna see
what happens? Hey buddy.
See, he opened his mouth and he was like,
"No, I just wanna get back out there
and continue hunting."
So are you ready to let this turtle go?
-HADLEY: Yeah. -COYOTE: Do you wanna name it?
-He's so strong, yeah. -COYOTE: What would you like
-to name it? -Um, Rainbow.
Rainbow? Perfect name for a painted turtle.
Now you know what, I think if we let it go
right here in this shallow water,
we'll be able to watch it skitter off
and back down into the lily pads.
HADLEY: That's fast.
-Pretty cool, right? -Uh-huh.
All right. Are you ready to find a bigger turtle than that?
-Yeah. -Time for a snapping turtle
I think.
At it's most simplistic definition,
a food web is the natural interconnection
between several species
that all inhabit the same ecological community.
Fueled by the sun's warming rays,
freshwater aquatic food webs
break down into three basic tiers
which include the producers like algae
and other water plants,
primary consumers like tadpoles, snails,
insects, or other arthropods,
and finally the secondary consumers
which are your more dominant predators
like water snakes, herons, and of course
my personal favorite, snapping turtles.
Any little sound that I hear, I'm like, "Okay.
Plants are moving, could it be a water snake?
Maybe."
Always got to investigate.
-You see anything? -HADLEY: No.
COYOTE: Me neither, all right. No snakes there.
Okay. Let's keep moving this direction.
Hadley, I think it's to the left of you, you see it?
-Yeah. -COYOTE: Okay.
Oh, I see it. I see it.
Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it.
Good snake, good snake.
Okay, Hadley, you ready?
This snake's probably gonna be pretty bitey.
Yes. Check that out.
-Northern water snake. -HADLEY: Wow.
-COYOTE: How cool is that? -That's really cool.
COYOTE: Have you ever held a water snake before?
-No. -Okay. Well that might be
happening right now. Okay. Let's tuck back up here,
uh, and take a closer look.
Yes, this is awesome. High five.
Whoa, all right. We got a snake.
Okay. So Hadley, what you're looking at there
is the northern water snake,
one of my favorite reptile species here in Ohio,
this in the middle of the food pyramid,
it is a predator, likely are hunting right now
for tadpoles and small fish.
But it can also be a prey item,
so when I turn this snake sideways like this,
you can see all the banding
that runs down the length of the body,
what does that look like?
-Um, camouflage? -COYOTE: Yes.
Good camouflage. However, that camouflage,
while it may keep it hidden in the environment,
also makes it really look like a copperhead
-or a young water moccasin. -Yeah.
So people think, "Oh, no. It's venomous,
I should kill it."
But this is a completely safe snake species.
Now because these snakes are capable of biting,
I want you to get the chance to hold the snake
but I did bring a pair of gloves with me for you to wear.
Just in case that happens.
Okay. You got the gloves on?
-Yeah. -Okay.
So here is the moment of truth,
Hadley is about to hold
her very first northern water snake.
So just put your hands all flat.
Yeah, I am very afraid of snakes
-but I'm still doing it. -You are doing
an awesome job, now you don't wanna hold
onto the body too tight but there you go,
just let it slither from one hand to the other.
-Perfect. Isn't that cool? -HADLEY: Uh-huh.
You are officially holding a water snake.
-HADLEY: Smells kind of weird. -COYOTE: You know what that is?
Do you smell my hand? Smell my hand.
-Pee? -COYOTE: Uh, close.
Musk which is also a defense mechanism
that snakes will use to deter a predator.
So I'll take the snake back real quick, you did so awesome.
But on the back side of the snake right there
is called a vent, also known as the snake's butt.
So from here is where the snake not only goes to the bathroom,
it also secretes that musk
and if you were a predator and you bit onto it,
I have a feeling it's gonna tell you
this is not something you wanna try to eat.
And now earlier you said that you were afraid of snakes,
-do you know what that's called? -A snakophobia?
Close. Uh, I like snakophobia
but it's actually a ophidiophobia
and a lot of people are afraid of snakes
because they don't understand them.
So Hadley, now that you've held a northern water snake,
would you say you're still afraid of snakes?
Um, no. Before I was,
but now I think they're kind of cute.
I would totally agree. Well it's important for us
to put this snake right back where we found it
and since you're so good at handling these now,
do you wanna do the honors of letting it go?
-Yeah. -COYOTE: Okay.
Put your hands out, gently hold onto it,
we're gonna walk to the edge of the pond
and then we're gonna see
if we can find a snapping turtle.
All right. Let's go.
[music playing]
COYOTE:
So with the sun climbing higher in the sky
and temperatures rising, time may be running out
for us to have an encounter with this freshwater biomes,
most prehistoric-looking creature.
The common snapping turtle hails as one
of the North America's top reptilian predators
and while I am no stranger to the dangers
that arise from interacting with these animals,
Hadley has never before seen one in the wild.
If I could pull off this grand finale catch,
her previous appreciation for turtles
is going to take on a whole new level of amazement.
Do you see that dark spot out there
where the algae's broken apart?
That could be a turtle hiding underneath that.
And we're gonna go for this because it could be a turtle.
-Wait, you're going in? -COYOTE: Yup.
I'm a hundred percent going in.
Spotting a snapping turtle isn't exactly easy,
it requires patience and persistence,
mixed together with a little bit of luck
that hopefully puts you in the right place
at exactly the right time.
-Hadley, are you ready? -HADLEY: Yes.
COYOTE: Okay. I got hands on the turtle.
[Hadley gasps]
Whoa, that's big.
COYOTE: Here we go. Here we go, okay.
Oh, there it is.
-That... -HADLEY: Oh.
COYOTE: ...is a common snapping turtle right there
and it's not happy, okay.
Actually pretty, pretty heavy turtle.
Now it's important for me to keep the turtle's head
safely away from you.
Come on a little bit closer,
that is what we call a mud dragon.
How prehistoric looking is that turtle?
-Very. -Have you ever seen
-anything like that? -No.
COYOTE: Looks like a grumpy turtle, doesn't he?
I don't wanna get my nose any close than this
but that is a handsome boy right there.
Now these turtles, as we're talking about earlier,
have incredible camouflage
and the top of the shell
is the carapace, you see this?
You see how dark in coloration it is?
Covered in algae, go ahead, put your hand out there,
you can completely touch this,
don't be afraid, there you go.
Pretty cool and slimy feeling, isn't it?
-HADLEY: Uh-hmm. -COYOTE: How awesome is that?
That is an ancient creature right there.
Oh, yeah. They got a pretty far bite, don't they?
Don't worry. It won't be able to get you from there, all right.
So I'm gonna turn it this way, you're totally safe right there,
but we just wanna see this guy's face.
Hi buddy, how are you? What sort of questions
-do you have about this turtle? -HADLEY: I actually have
-two questions. -COYOTE: Okay.
HADLEY: How old do snapping turtles get?
COYOTE: That's a great question.
Now nobody knows for sure
exactly how old a snapping turtle can get
but it's estimated somewhere between 30 and 70 years.
But they can be pretty old and I would guess this one is
maybe around 20 or 25 years.
-So we found this in a pond. -COYOTE: Uh-hmm.
Are all snapping turtles
-habitats in ponds? -That's a great question.
Snapping turtles love ponds,
they love swamps but they can also be found in rivers
and sometimes even along the edges of lakes.
Because they're a freshwater turtle species,
if there's a body of freshwater,
there's a good chance it could have a snapping turtle.
Well, Hadley, I'd say we did a really good job
climbing up the freshwater ecosystem food web
and you got over your fear of snakes by holding a water snake
and we even came across my favorite animal,
the common snapping turtle.
However there is one more cool thing
that I wanna show you here at the Holden Arboretum,
you aren't afraid of heights, are you?
-What? -[chuckles] You'll see.
All right. Ready? Got to let this turtle go.
I'm gonna set him here and watch him take off Hadley,
this is gonna be cool. All right. Bye buddy.
After a well-deserved lunch break
and some relaxation time,
there was still one more element of adventure
that I wanted Hadley to experience.
Holden Arboretum is home to one of the coolest
canopy walks in the nation
which will take Hadley and me
65 feet above the forest floor.
Is this what it would look like if you were in a bird's nest?
It look cool.
COYOTE:
our final destination involves
climbing the emergent tower
where we've reached the canopy
and descent 120 feet toward a breathtaking view
of the surrounding wilderness.
[music playing]
So Hadley, this was an awesome day.
I had so much fun out there with you.
What was your favorite part of the adventure?
Honestly, I think holding the water snake was pretty cool.
COYOTE:
and we did it the right way
where you put on gloves, no one was bitten,
and that was the safest experience we could've had.
So after the experience that we had today
where we got all these cool animals,
why do you now feel like it's important to conserve
an ecosystem like this?
HADLEY:
could be a really important part in the role of the ecosystem.
COYOTE: Uh-hmm. And when it comes to conservation,
do you feel like everybody out there watching
shares that same thought that you do,
that conserving a place like this is incredibly important?
-I hope. -COYOTE: Yeah?
The future of freshwater conservation
begins with an education about how it's species work together
to balance the food web
from frogs to snakes,
birds to prehistoric looking turtles,
each and every animal plays an important role.
Across the globe, freshwater habitats
are under the constant threat of pollution
and human encroachment
which means they could really use our help.
If you want to make a difference,
I encourage you to get involved
with habitat conservation in your area
so that the rising stewards of our planet
will have these wild places to enjoy
for generations to come.
-I'm Coyote Peterson. -I'm Hadley Hofbauer.
-Be Brave. -Stay Wild.
We'll see you on the next
[music playing]