Hey Wisconsin Residents! Help the Department of Natural Resources by participating in the turtle monitoring program.
From the New Richmond News:
According to the Blair Society, a group that monitors and studies vertebrates across the United States including turtles, tens of thousands of turtles are killed crossing roads every year and many of those are females looking for nesting sites in the spring.
When you add to the equation, the overall decrease in the amount of suitable habitat (wetlands, marshes etc.), the degradation of that habitat and the fragmentation of it by roads and other obstacles, turtles captured for pets and more for soup and shoes, you can begin to appreciate why turtles are in trouble.
The goal of the turtle monitoring program is to detect high turtle crossing mortality areas throughout the state and to begin to the placement of turtle road crossing signs and the implementation of wildlife friendly underpasses.
To report turtle sightings follow these simple steps:
1. Visit the Wisconsin Turtle Conservaiton Program Website – http://wiatri.net/inventory/witurtles/
2. Click on the “Volunteer” tab and then select “Enter WTCP Data”.
3. This will take you through a short step-by-step process of how to enter your data.
4. Enter your data and upload any photos you may have taken.
5. Click “submit” (You’re done!)
6. You can also download a physical copy of the report form from the website if you’d prefer to mail in your copy.
Mail your hard copies to: (if not submitting online) Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resource; Bureau of Endangered Resources ER/6; Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921.