Saving Endangered Turtles in the Pacific Northwest

The Oregon Zoo drew praise from colleagues at zoos and aquariums across the continent this Fall, earning another prestigious award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums — its seventh such honor over the past five years.

This year, the Oregon Zoo and its conservation partners at Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo took top honors in the North American Conservation Awards category for the collaborative western pond turtle recovery project. The award recognizes "exceptional efforts toward regional habitat preservation, species restoration and support of biodiversity."

In 1990, only two pond turtle sites were left in Washington. Today, six populations have been established with two in Puget Sound and four in the Columbia River Gorge. More than 1,800 turtles have been head-started and released to these sites. Studies have revealed that an estimated 95 percent of turtles released in the Columbia River Gorge survived their first year.

"We are deeply honored," said Dr. Don Moore, Oregon Zoo director. "These awards are the highest distinction in the zoo community. They represent the respect shown for the Oregon Zoo by our peers from around the world."

Since 2012, the Oregon Zoo has been recognized with seven of the association's major annual awards: four for conservation work on behalf of imperiled Northwest species, one for environmental efforts in the zoo's day-to-day operations, and two for marketing excellence.

"Earning that many awards over the span of five years is quite an accomplishment," said AZA interim president and CEO Kris Vehrs. "Oregonians can be very proud of their zoo — it's one of the top zoos in North America."

The Western Pond Turtle Recovery Project is a collaborative effort by the Oregon Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration, USDA Forest Service and other partners. To learn more, visit www.oregonzoo.org/turtles.

Bullfrogs look forward to this time of year the way some locals anticipate Hood strawberry season. It's the time when baby western pond turtles in the Columbia River Gorge emerge from months of dormancy and begin swimming about — making an ideal "fun size" snack for the voracious, non-native American bullfrog.

"When you're as small as these guys are, you're the perfect size for a lot of animals to eat," said Oregon Zoo keeper Michelle Schireman. "And the biggest problem they have right now are the invasive, or introduced, bullfrogs — they just scoop them up like M&M's."

Native to the eastern United States — but considered an invasive species here — the American bullfrog is the largest frog species on the continent. It can tip the scales at more than a pound and has been driving pond turtles and a host of other small, vulnerable aquatic species to the brink of extinction.

Last week, Schireman and her colleagues took charge of 20 western pond turtle hatchlings, collected by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Service from sites in the Columbia Gorge. The zoo is "head-starting" these tiny turtles, caring for them until next spring when they will be large enough to avoid the bullfrogs and have a fighting chance on their own in the wild.

Unlike recovery programs for other endangered species like California condors or Taylor's checkerspot butterflies — which take place offsite or behind the scenes — this conservation effort can be seen by zoo visitors. The turtle conservation lab is in the Cascade Stream and Pond portion of the zoo's Great Northwest section.

The turtles experience summer year-round, with heat lamps and plentiful food, so they don't go into dormancy. "Life's pretty easy here in the lab if you're a little pond turtle," Schireman said. "As a result, they grow to about the size of a 3-year-old during the nine months that they stay with us."

Once the turtles reach about 70 grams (a little more than 2 ounces), they are returned to their natural habitat and monitored for safety.

The western pond turtle, once common from Baja California to the Puget Sound, is listed as an endangered species in Washington and a sensitive species in Oregon. The species is currently under USFW review to determine whether it will be given federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Two decades ago, western pond turtles were on the verge of completely dying out in Washington, with fewer than 100 turtles left in the state.

"We're at a critical point with this species," Schireman said. "We really have to grow them up in their population numbers if we're going to save them in time."

There have been some encouraging signs. In one study, scientists estimated that 95 percent of turtles released back to sites in the Columbia Gorge survive annually, and today nearly 1,000 turtles range across six ponds in the Columbia Gorge.

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