"Toy turtle" not so amusing after all.

The problem with building roads near lakes with turtles in them.

Imagine my horror when, after finding what I thought was a child's play toy turtle, I discovered it was a dead baby western painted turtle.  Ran over by a car.  It was maybe 1.5 inches long with a shell about an inch wide.  The little guy was probably only hours from being hatched when it got flattened.  

The city of Kelowna is busy putting a road through Munson Pond Park.  In spite of the protests, media coverage, placard waving, and letter writing, the road project began.  While it is true that the road is quite a distance from the pond itself, western painted turtles are known to dig their nests significant distances from the water.  This ensures safety from flooding, for the embryos would die if covered with water.  It makes it harder for predators to find the nests because the potential area for their locations has grown significantly.  And it allows the turtles to find ground that has the desirable traits preferred for digging a nest deep into the ground.

Risk is exacerbated when a road goes in.  The possible area is reduced.  Turtles crossing the road (both adults and the young) are at risk of being hit by traffic or captured by people who don't know better.  Predators can easily see turtles on the barren areas of the road allowance.  Turtle mortality can increase significantly.

What can be done?  Well, the best plan would have been to leave the road development alone.  However, now that the ship has sailed, the next best thing is to construct turtle barricades and provide education.  This can be done by the city if they wish to reduce turtle mortality from the asphalt-culling contrivance.  Yes, it will cost a few bucks.  But it will be cheaper for them in the long run if people start pulling flattened turtles from the side of the road.  

If you agree with this, email this document to all the elected officials of Kelowna and its provincial and federal counterparts.  Let them know the turtle-body count will soon be ticking away.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen 

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