Western Pond Turtles Found at Nyberg

After nearly a year and half of removing reed canary grass our Nyberg wetland finally has some open space!  Reed canary grass, an invasive species, can grow six feet tall and cover every inch of ground.  This makes it impossible for turtles to sun themselves, making the wetland uninhabitable for these important creatures.

Last weekend our Urban Land Steward, Megan Garvey, went out to inspect the Nyberg preserve before beginning the process of adding more turtle specific habitat features to the wetland.  To both her surprise and joy, the turtles had already moved in!  While walking the wetland four Western Pond turtles were spotted, including a young turtle, which could mean that turtles are breeding at the wetland!

This summer and fall The Wetlands Conservancy will be adding basking logs and and platforms along with planting native grasses and shrubs.  We are excited to see the return of this species and see what that will mean for the health of this wetland!