How You Can Help Save Blanding’s Turtles in Lake County

Seven-year-old Carson Diver had been saving up for a year-and-a-half for an iPad when his mother, an employee for the Lake County Forest Preserves, brought up the county’s new Adopt-a-Turtle program during dinner.

The program, aimed at raising funds to help protect Blanding’s turtles in the county, was introduced to forest preserves staffers that day at work, said Laurel Diver of Wauconda, the manager of human resources and risk for the Lake County Forest Preserves.

“Throughout dinner Carson would bring the conversation back to the topic, asking how much it cost, if you got to take it (the turtle) home, if you got to name it…” Diver said in an e-mail. “Finally he asked if he had enough money to adopt a turtle, I told him he did but that he would then be further away from the goal of the iPad.”

Carson decided to use $120 of his savings to adopt Leo the turtle and become Lake County’s youngest “turtle champion.” As part of the Adopt-a-Turtle program, a turtle champion can name their turtle, join Forest Preserve wildlife biologists for a behind-the-scenes tour of the turtle facility, receive a picture of your turtle’s plastron (their unique underside) and receive updates when your turtle is located and measured during population monitoring.

The Lake County Forest Preserves District has a goal of raising $12,000 to help with its efforts to protect the Blanding’s turtles and is already more than halfway to that goal. So far, over $7,200 has been raised.
As for Carson, his mom says the 7-year-old doesn’t feel any regret over forgoing his iPad purchase and adopting Leo.

“After he adopted the turtle, he said it felt good to do something good,” Diver said.

Blanding Turtles: On the Decline

The Blanding’s turtle is a long-lived, semi-aquatic turtle that was designated as endangered in the state of Illinois in 2009. Lake County once had 17 different localities with Blanding’s turtles.

Today, the Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain is the only known location in Lake County that contains both the number of animals and habitat needed to support a viable, free-ranging population of Blanding’s turtles.

“Along with our partners, we have been monitoring the Blanding’s turtle population within the Lake Plain since 2004. This large coastal area represents one of the largest and most well-studied populations of Blanding’s turtles in the region,” according to information posted on the Lake County Forest Preserves website. “However, modeling has indicated that the population is in decline due to low juvenile recruitment combined with unsustainable levels of adult mortality.”

Photo credit: Lake County Forest Preserves website

In an effort to address the decline and recover the species, the forest preserves district instituted the Blanding’s Turtle Recovery Program in 2010. And forest preserves staff are taking the following steps to try and increase the Blanding’s turtles population in Lake County:

• Tracking turtles to determine the extent of their range and monitor their locations.
• Working to increase juvenile survival through “head-starting,” where eggs are collected, incubated and hatchlings are held in captivity beyond the point of extreme predation.
• Meso-predator control keeps predators, such as raccoons, in balance.
• Working with partners, including Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,The Nature Conservancy, and Illinois Nature Preserve Commission to restore and protect important habitats.

Photo credit: Lake County Forest Preserves webiste

Those interested in learning more about the recovery program, or donating to the program, can do so here.

“Any gift to the Adopt-a-Turtle program will help us continue field work to protect this endangered species,” Allison Frederick, Environmental Communications Specialist for the Lake County Forest Preserves, said in an e-mail.

Forest preserve officials’ long-term goal is to increase the Blanding’s turtle persistence in Lake County through the management, conservation and/or re-establishment of viable, free-ranging populations of Blanding’s turtles at a minimum of three focal conservation areas, according to the forest preserves website.

How Else Can You Help?: Drive Carefully, Look for Turtles Under Parked Car

In addition to donating, Lake County residents can help all turtles by following these steps:

• Do not feed raccoons and other wildlife
• Keep pet food and water dishes indoors
• Never release pets and risk spread of disease
• Do not bring wild animals inside as pets
• Keep cats indoors
• Conserve water; reduce use where possible
• Help prevent the spread of invasive species
• Volunteer to remove invasive species
• Drive carefully when near wetland areas
• Check for turtles under your car before driving away
• Support natural resources agencies

More via the Lake County Forest Preserves website