01 Nov Turtle Month is Here
Are you ready to help our turtles this November?
The 1 Million Turtles Community Conservation Program is a national community conservation citizen science program. Promoting strong collaboration between scientists and community to support initiatives aimed at conserving threatened Australian freshwater turtle species.
Image: Eastern long-necked turtle Chelodina longicollis
Source: animalia.bio
The program creates opportunities for the community to actively learn, participate and contribute to freshwater turtle research and conservation. This is achieved through a variety of activities suitable for people with different interests and skill levels.
The team behind the 1 Million Turtles project want to increase survival rates of freshwater turtles and turtle nests, and by doing so, increase our turtle populations by at least 1 million, hence the name! They also want to increase the knowledge of freshwater turtle distributions across Australia and identify hotspots for future conservation, as well as train the community in methods that promote turtle conservation, such as how to save a turtle on the road or protect a turtle nest.
Image: Bell’s Turtle Myuchelys bellii
There are a few ways you can be a citizen scientist for the 1 Million Turtles project. One of the easiest ways is to download the TurtleSat app and record turtle and nest sightings anywhere in Australia. The app will identify your location and guide you through identifying the turtle species in your area. The data will help conserve and reduce turtle deaths in Australia.
Check out the website www.1millionturtles.com for more information.