Arielle Hincapie, Ana De Sousa, Nichols Zelaya and Tony Pappantoniou.

The Connecticut Audubon Society has recognized three HCC students who won for their study on turtles at the annual Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists (MACUB) conference last month.

Ana De Sousa, Arielle Hincapie and Nichols Zelaya won for their presentation entitled Distribution of Leeches on the Eastern Painted Turtle, which tracked the amount and dispersal of parasites on local turtles over time.

Since 2010, HCC students along with Biology Professor Tony Pappantoniou, have studied the painted turtle population at Larsen Farm Pond in Fairfield. The pond, part of the Connecticut Audubon Society’s wildlife sanctuary, is home to hundreds of species of wildlife. To date, students have collected and marked more than 100 turtles for research.

To view the student’s winning poster, or to find out more information about the Connecticut Adubon Society, visit https://www.ctaudubon.org/fairfield-news-visitor-information/