Endangered species week – western painted turtle
Posted onMay 19, 2020byWildlife Preservation Canada|News and Events, Species at Risk
What is the Western Painted Turtle Recovery Program? In the wetlands of B.C.’s Fraser Valley, western painted turtles face many challenges, especially as eggs and tiny hatchlings. With no shortage of hungry predators and no care from their parents once they’ve hatched, only a few young turtles survive to become adults. When you add human activity to the mix, the rate of survival can be so low that a population becomes unsustainable. Since 2012, we’ve been working to improve those odds. In addition to protecting nests, we collect eggs from vulnerable turtle nests, artificially incubate them and head-start new hatchlings before releasing them back into the wild.
To celebrate Endangered Species Week, WPC is putting the spotlight on endangered Canadian species who desperately need our help.
This spotlight is on the western painted turtle, which is listed as Endangered on the Pacific Coast of Canada.
One of the best starting points in saving an endangered animal is to learn about what makes that animal special. We’ve pulled together some quick and easy ways for you to learn about the western painted turtle.
- READ FIRSTHAND STORIES FROM THE BIOLOGISTS SAVING THE WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE:
How to ID a turtle by its shell: https://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog/how-do-you-tell-a-turtle
A helping hand for a turtle mother: https://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog/lending-a-helping-hand
3. GET YOUR KIDS EXCITED ABOUT ENDANGERED ANIMALS:
Download our kids activity sheets in full colour or black and white colouring sheets. Each of the six different sheets has facts about a different animal with a fun activity on the back where your kids can put their knowledge to the test.
4. OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP ENDANGERED ANIMALS LIKE THE WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE:
Join the discussion on social media. We posts interesting articles, videos, and links every day. We also send out a monthly e-newsletter with stories about our work.
Make a small gift with a big impact. Support our work with endangered animals by making a donation today. Our team will put your gift into action right away.
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