We had a great time yesterday at the kick-off of the inaugural Gladwin County River Race of Two Cities hosted by Gladwin Conservation District and other local community partners. Along with Little Forks Conservancy, we sampled macroinvertebrates from the Cedar River to educate the public about stream monitoring. Shout-out to all the excited young people who stopped by our table! We're pretty sure there were some future biologists in the groups! (fb)

We heard it's #WorldTurtleDay, and you know we can't pass up an excuse to celebrate our shelled friends! 🐢How can you not fall in love with these charismatic creatures?! Did you know that our cute Chelonian pals are facing many threats? Although turtles have existed for over 200 million years, more than 50% of species worldwide are at risk of extinction. In Michigan, we have three Threatened Species (Eastern Box Turtle, Spotted Turtle, and Wood Turtle) and one Special Concern Species (Blanding's Turtle). Habitat loss/fragmentation, illegal poaching for the pet trade, and road mortalities are leading to these declines. This, paired with delayed maturity, can decimate populations. Many turtles take a decade, or more, before they begin reproducing! These facts may be bleak, but you can help turtles in many ways! Keep an eye out for them crossing the roadways. Remember, we mentioned habitat fragmentation? Many wetland complexes have been altered by human development, and roads are now in the path of traveling turtles as they move across the landscape. We are approaching nesting season for female turtles, and many will be facing danger as they make that journey. The loss of a pregnant female has serious consequences for already struggling populations. If you can safely move a turtle off the road, please do so! Just remember to move them off in the direction they were headed. Turtles move intentionally, and if directed the wrong way, they turn back to cross the road again. Supporting local conservation efforts, especially those protecting wetlands and riparian corridors, will ensure that turtles always have a place to call home. We are proud to have nature preserves that permanently protect many areas throughout our region that support various turtle species. Here are a few of our favorite past encounters! (fb)