When I was young, finding a box turtle or looking at fireflies on a summer night was one of life's great joys. I never see live box turtles anymore. But, I found a turtle's carapace half-buried in mud and concealed by stilt grass in the field that abuts the Beaverbrook. The beautiful coloring of the shells covering was long gone, but the carapace's plates' hexagonal pattern was still evident.
Lightning bugs and turtles are few and far between; loss of habitat to ever-expanding suburbs, light pollution, pollution of the water, collision with cars, and illegal trade has dramatically diminished these and many other species.
Six unit, hexagonal plaiting with chemical patina, 13" x 9" x 8".
