OutdoorNebraska

7 All of the projects included in this newsletter are supported and made possible by donations to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund from people like you. Thank you! What other projects do donation dollars support? Updates to the Conservation and Environmental Review Tool for environmental planning and conservation of at-risk species in Nebraska. Expanding the Watchable Wildlife Program to bring Nebraskans closer to nature in their own backyard and beyond. Investing in the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program, which trains volunteers to work in habitat and wildlife conservation, environmental education, and citizen science. Sponsorship of Audubon Nebraska's Annual Crane Festival, which brings together scientists and crane lovers for environmental presentations and crane viewing field trips. Collaboration with the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Nebraska to train graduate students and conduct research in natural resource management. Support of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America's Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources. Partnering with the Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy to reverse the monarch population decline through coordinated, landscape-scale, habitat conservation. Contributions to Southern Wings and participation in the conservation of migratory bird stop-over sites and wintering grounds across political borders. And even more projects to save Nebraska's wildlife and wild places. Searching for Blanding's Turtles By Dan Fogell, Herpetologist 2 019 marked the second year the Wildlife Conservation Fund has supported surveys for Blanding's turtles in Nebraska. The surveys began in response to a petition by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to list the Blanding's turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) under the Endangered Species Act; the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission wanted more specific data before advising the USFWS on the potential listing since Nebraska is thought to have the largest population of Blanding's turtles. While many turtle surveys have been conducted throughout the state, a survey specific to Blanding's turtles has not been carried out until now. In 2018, around 120 locations were surveyed by a contractor throughout northeastern Nebraska. Surveys include visual assessments, walking shorelines, hoop-net trapping, and road surveys between sites. Luckily, Blanding's turtles are fairly easy to spot from a distance because of the bright yellow "chin" on the underside of their mouth. Unfortunately, in 2019, many of those same sites were flooded, silted in, or unreachable after the severe flooding throughout much of the state early in the year. Once sites became reachable, few (if any turtles) were found. Therefore, we have retained the contractor for another year to survey sites again to see if the turtles will be able to return to their previous locations in the spring and summer of 2020. ✔ Researchers are conducting surveys to find at-risk Blanding's turtles. Blanding's turtles are most easily recognized by their bright yellow chins. In Conclusion PHOTO BY KATIE LAMKE PHOTO BY DAN FOGELL 2019-93927 TR (2-10-2020)

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