'Protecting turtles and other wildlife on roadways'

Hundreds of animals die on Massachusetts roadways each year.

The "Linking Landscapes" project, a joint effort of Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, is an effort to address and intervene, where possible, in the deadly intersection between wildlife and roads.

The Nashua River Watershed Association and Groton Turtle Conservation are co-sponsoring a free presentation about the project by David Paulson from NHESP on Wednesday, April 29, from 7-9 p.m. at the NRWA River Resource Center, 592 Main St., Groton.

The public is invited to learn more about this project, and those interested in volunteering to help with monitoring turtle crossings can receive training the same evening.

David will talk about the cooperative effort to identify areas on roadways with high levels of wildlife crossings and mortalities. Using over 350 citizen volunteers' data, the two agencies work to improve methods of road construction and conservation to protect wildlife.

This presentation will have a special focus on turtles of Massachusetts, including identification and natural history. Turtles have existed for millions of years, but roadways are threatening the survival of local populations. Turtles often cross roadways late spring to early fall and are vulnerable to car collisions. Turtle enthusiasts and conservation organizations are encouraged to act as citizen scientists by joining state wildlife and transportation personnel in collecting data for the Turtle Roadway Mortality Monitoring Program.

David will share the results from the first year of data collection. Following his talk, anyone who is interested in volunteering can remain for training with David. The information gathered through this volunteer effort will be used to coordinate local turtle conservation efforts.

Pre-registration is not required, but appreciated for planning purposes. To pre-register, contact Pam Gilfillan, NRWA development associate, at 978-448-0299, or email PamG@NashuaRiverWatershed.org.


Nashoba Publishing
POSTED:   04/24/2015
Source: http://www.nashobapublishing.com/community_news/ci_27980208/protecting-turtles-and-other-wildlife-roadways#ixzz3YH48GPac