Turtle hatchlings will make their annual debut at Elizabeth Lake on April 23.
Locals can see Western painted turtle hatchlings that have emerged from their nests, an event that celebrates the efforts of conservationists and naturalists to protect a vulnerable species, and marks the emergence of spring.
Turtle Day is hosted annually by Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP), with help from Rocky Mountain Naturalists. This year, the free event runs from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., with opening remarks from aq’am Nasukin Joe Pierre.
The FWCP is a group made up of representatives from the provincial government, First Nations, B.C Hydro, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and public stakeholders, with a mission to conserve and enhance wildlife in watersheds impacted by B.C Hydro dams.
The nesting area is cared for by Rocky Mountain Naturalists and biologists working for the provincial government, with funding from FWCP. According to a FWCP e-mail, there were 63 nests laid on the edge of the wetland this year, and naturalists managed to protect all of them. Without intervention, Western painted turtles would lose 90 per cent of their nest to predators.
“We’re committed to protecting this vulnerable species and sharing the message of the Western painted turtle’s life cycle — from the egg, to hatching, growing, maturing, and reproducing,” said Rocky Mountain Naturalists president Marianne Nahm.
For the first time ever, there will be Turtle Day t-shirts to purchase, so FWCP recommends that attendees bring cash. Proceeds from the sales will support Rocky Mountain Naturalists and their work at Elizabeth Lake.
It also requests that dogs be left at home.
For more information on Turtle Day and other projects funded by the FWCP, visit fwcp.ca/events.