From little things big things grow and I’m not just talking about a cute 20-cent piece size
hatchling growing into a big 30cm+ size Mumma turtle...

The ‘Turtle Tracking’ program that started right here at Bibra Lake has expanded to now take in take in 12 wetlands as part of the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle project, which is funded by Lotterywest and managed by the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance. The number of people using the Turtle SAT app has grown from 19 to 425! The number of reported observations recorded on the app has also taken off, growing from just 30 reports in the 12 years prior to 2020, to now almost 2000 reports. And approximately 2000 hours of volunteer time helped make this happen. Go ‘Turtle Trackers’!

This is a great example of a Citizen Science project delivering direct conservation outcomes while creating a community of Turtle Tracking buddies working together to achieve the best results.

There is still a lot to be done with a low proportion of juveniles in the populations and the adult populations dominated by males. The ongoing effort to protect adult females is the key to getting the population back on a healthy trajectory. We can all do our bit by being vigilant during nesting season when females may be crossing roads and encouraging others to do the same. Our local social media pages can be a good way to get the message out for everyone to be extra careful on the roads during a nesting event.