Turtle Conservation Revelstoke is the Western Painted Turtle’s newest ally

A new organization in Revelstoke is working to raise awareness about the Western Painted Turtle and enact new solutions to protect the species. Started in 2023, Turtle Conservation Revelstoke (TCR) is partnered with Wildsight Revelstoke to increase conservation and education. What started as a collection of concerned citizens looking to help the local turtle species has become a volunteer organization making headway in some large projects.

“The goal is really to protect the population of the endangered Western Painted Turtle by reducing threats,” Reanne Harvey, Wildsight Revelstoke’s branch manager said. 

Western Painted Turtles are a species spotted throughout Canada, with habitats and nests found in and around Revelstoke. These turtles provide needed genetic biodiversity that could help turtle species in the area adapt to future climate changes, a necessary move in various ecosystems across Canada. High mortality rates threaten that genetic pool, though. 

Listed as a species of special concern by the B.C. Ministry of Environment, the turtles face threats from wetland habitat loss, natural predators, increases in human settlement and road development, like that on Airport Way.

“We can’t do much about wetland loss, that’s a bigger issue,” John Harding, TCR’s Fieldwork Co-lead told Revelstoke Mountaineer. “But we can do things about the mortality rates.”

Over the years efforts have been made to raise awareness of turtle crossings along the Red Devil’s Hill section of Airport Way with habitat rehabilitation and debris clearing, but recent work on Camozzi Road has rerouted traffic to the area, heavily increasing activity along the nesting site. TCR has been able to build and rebuild nest areas with financial donations from community members and business, and with labour and material donations from Stoke Sheet Metal Bending, Little Big Works and more.

Additional signage along the road with updated speed limits and speed bumps have helped lower turtle mortality along the route, but rates still need to decrease. Weeds and litter on the route are another notable threat for the turtles.

“Roots from those weeds grow through the nest,” Harding explained. “They will actually impale the turtle eggs as well as the hatchlings itself, causing mortality.”

To mitigate the negative impact of weeds on the population, TCR partnered with Golden’s Youth Climate Corps to increase weed and garbage removal along Red Devil’s Hill and encourage passersby to keep trash secured in vehicles until it can be properly disposed of.

While some conservation efforts for other species can include relocation and “assisted migration,” strategies, Western Painted Turtles are known for their strong ties to specific locations and their determination to return to a known spot, no matter the encroaching threats. TCR has attempted to change behavior patterns with silt fencing blocking hazardous routes and developing prime nesting spots in other areas, but so far it’s led to mixed outcomes.

“I think we’re really testing that theory of ‘can you reroute a turtle to a better nesting site’?” Harding said. “I’m still sitting on the fence of whether that’s possible.”

Attempts to move the turtles can be counterproductive, as they will often head back to their previous location to reorient themselves, Hardling said. 

Female turtles also transport water in their shells and picking them up could cause the water to spill out, he added.

TCR and Wildsight urge residents and visitors not to attempt relocation themselves, but encourage instead reporting turtle activity to TCR and Wildsight via email or recording sightings through iNaturalist. 

“There is a desire in this community to help out,” Harding stressed. “That’s part of Revelstoke. And we can really use that help to mitigate mortality rates where we can.”

Those interested in volunteering, learning more or donating financial and material resources can reach out to TCR via the Wildsight Revelstoke email or through social channels.