Turtles and music naturally go together. At least they have for the past 50 years. The Grateful Dead’s 1977 album Terrapin Station cemented the connection between turtles and music for all time. Since we can’t bring out the Grateful Dead to Porchfest, we thought we might just bring some turtles for the kids. In the hills of western Massachusetts, a small wildlife rehabilitation effort is quietly making a big difference for some of the region’s most vulnerable wildlife.
My Little Turtle Rescue, based in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, specializes in helping injured and ill wild turtles recover and, whenever possible, return to their natural habitat. Founded and operated by licensed wildlife rehabilitator Melissa Stevens, the rescue is a largely volunteer effort that has grown out of a deep commitment to turtles, wildlife conservation, and the natural environment of western Massachusetts.
Although My Little Turtle Rescue does not currently have a traditional standalone website, the organization shares its work through social media and community fundraising. Its Instagram presence is My Little Turtle Rescue on Instagram, while its Facebook presence can be found on Facebook.
A Specialized Mission
Wildlife rehabilitation is a demanding undertaking, and turtle rehabilitation presents its own unique challenges. Turtles are frequently injured while crossing roads, and vehicle strikes can result in broken shells, fractured jaws, internal injuries and other potentially life-threatening trauma.
My Little Turtle Rescue focuses specifically on freshwater turtles. According to the Turtle Rescue League, Melissa Stevens is a Northampton-area licensed wildlife rehabilitator specializing in freshwater turtles. In 2026, she was invited to speak at the organization’s annual Turtle Summit about what it is really like to begin a career in turtle rehabilitation. Her presentation, titled “What does your first season as a turtle rehabilitator really look like?”, covered the learning curve, unexpected challenges, successes and heartbreaks that come with caring for injured wildlife.
Her work is also part of a larger Massachusetts network of licensed wildlife rehabilitators. MassWildlife explains that rehabilitators are licensed to care for sick, injured or debilitated wildlife with the goal of returning animals to the wild whenever possible. These rehabilitators generally volunteer their time and are not compensated by the Commonwealth.
The Story of Freedom
One of the most remarkable recent stories from My Little Turtle Rescue involved a massive snapping turtle named Freedom.
Freedom was discovered on a Southwick road last fall after apparently being struck by a vehicle. The 24-pound turtle was found on her back and had suffered a fractured jaw. She was subsequently transferred to Melissa Stevens in Williamsburg for rehabilitation.
Treating a snapping turtle with a serious jaw injury is no simple task. Melissa initially made several attempts to stabilize the turtle’s jaw, but eventually Freedom needed veterinary care. A veterinarian lightly sedated her and wired her broken jaw shut so it could heal properly.
After months of rehabilitation and care, Freedom recovered sufficiently to return to the wild.
Her story illustrates an important part of wildlife rehabilitation: the goal isn’t to make a wild animal into a pet. The goal is to give an injured animal the opportunity to heal and then return to the life it was meant to live.
Helping People Understand Turtles
Melissa’s work goes beyond treating individual turtles. Education is an important part of wildlife rehabilitation because many people simply do not know what to do when they encounter an injured turtle.
In the case of a turtle found on its back, for example, she advises that it should be carefully returned to its proper position when it is safe to do so. Melissa also strongly warns people never to pick up a turtle by its tail, because a turtle’s tail is connected to its spine and pulling on it can cause serious injury.
Road safety is another major concern. Turtles often cross roads during periods when they are searching for nesting sites, food or suitable habitat. Drivers sometimes try to avoid a turtle by straddling it with their vehicle. Melissa points out that this can still result in significant injuries, particularly to snapping turtles, which may raise their heads and strike the underside of a vehicle.
These simple lessons can save lives.
Part of a Larger Conservation Community
My Little Turtle Rescue is also connected to the broader wildlife-conservation community in Massachusetts.
Melissa serves as a board member of the Wildlife Rehabilitators’ Association of Massachusetts (WRAM), according to recent local reporting. She has also participated in conservation discussions beyond turtle rehabilitation.
Her involvement in the 2026 Turtle Summit further demonstrates the growing role of My Little Turtle Rescue within the state’s turtle-rehabilitation community. The conference brought together wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, conservationists and students to discuss turtle rehabilitation, anatomy, parasites, natural history and other topics.
Why Turtle Rehabilitation Matters
Turtles are among the oldest surviving groups of reptiles, but many populations face increasing pressure from habitat loss, roads, predators and other human-related threats.
Because turtles generally grow slowly and reproduce relatively late in life, the loss of an adult turtle can have a disproportionate effect on a local population. Every individual that can be successfully rehabilitated and returned to the wild therefore represents more than a single rescue story. It represents another member of the ecosystem.
That philosophy is reflected throughout Melissa’s work. Her goal is not simply to keep turtles alive in captivity, but to give them the opportunity to recover and resume their lives in the wild.
A Local Resource Worth Knowing About
One of the most important messages coming from My Little Turtle Rescue is that people should know that help is available when wildlife is genuinely injured.
Massachusetts maintains a statewide network of licensed wildlife rehabilitators, and MassWildlife recommends contacting a rehabilitator before attempting to capture or transport injured wildlife. Different rehabilitators specialize in different species, and not every rehabilitator can accept every animal.
That makes specialized rehabilitators such as My Little Turtle Rescue particularly valuable.
For residents of Williamsburg and surrounding communities, the rescue provides an important local connection to professional wildlife rehabilitation, particularly when the animal in need happens to have a shell.
Supporting My Little Turtle Rescue
Wildlife rehabilitation is largely a community-supported effort. Massachusetts wildlife rehabilitators volunteer their time, while donations often help pay for food, medical supplies, equipment, utilities and veterinary care.
My Little Turtle Rescue has used community fundraising to purchase equipment and supplies needed to care for its growing number of patients. Those interested in supporting the rescue can follow its ongoing work through its social-media channels and look for current fundraising and supply needs.
Follow My Little Turtle Rescue on Instagram
Follow My Little Turtle Rescue on Facebook
The story of My Little Turtle Rescue is ultimately about much more than turtles. It is about a person in a small western Massachusetts community who saw a need, developed the skills to meet it, and devoted time and resources to helping wildlife that might otherwise never have received a second chance.
For turtles like Freedom, that second chance can mean the difference between dying on the roadside and once again disappearing into the Massachusetts landscape, exactly where a wild turtle belongs.