Lizzy's Blanding's Turtle
Blanding's Turtle Conservation in Iowa and Illinois
Iowa State University Lab
Lizzy Linkedin
Returning Wood Turtle to the Wild
Blank Park Zoo
Lizzy uses radio-telemetry to follow the turtles to determine how the respond to habitat management and utilize the study areas. Additionally, we will estimate survival probability to better understand population demographics of this species. This project may increase our knowledge of where populations currently exist in each state and how they respond to the management actions.
Lizzy's project assists managers in Iowa and Illinois on making informed decisions about the endangered Blanding's turtle. Lizzy uses radio-telemetry to collect and evaluate information about their response to the habitat manipulation in an adaptive management framework. The research team estimates survival probability to better understand population demographics. This project increases our knowledge of where populations and how they respond to the management actions.
The purpose of this application is to implement habitat management on private lands and continue habitat management on public lands to provide additional areas to expand and support known populations of Blanding’s turtles. Illinois DNR is also monitoring.
Iowa DNR will begin a head-starting program for these turtles by collecting eggs, hatching and raising the turtles, and then releasing the turtles onto the property from which they were collected. The Iowa head-starting program will be overseen by the Blank Park Zoo, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited zoo.