An oil spill that occurred in 2014 in Silver Springs Creek, which feeds Burnaby Lake, has made it tough for nesting turtles. Fortunately, they have some friends in the Coastal Painted Turtle Project, which is lending them a helping hand.
The lake is home to one of the biggest populations of western painted turtles in the province. The first time the turtle eggs needed to be removed was when the heavy equipment was brought in to the area to clean up the oil. The babies were dug up and cared for at a facility in North Vancouver and were allowed to return to the lake in the spring.
This year, volunteers once again headed out to the lake to gather the tiny turtles before the sand they are in is excavated. The plan is for this contaminated material to be removed and replaced with fresh, clean sand. They were able to collect over 35 hatchlings.
The group is using this as an opportunity to learn more about the nesting habits of the turtles. This information can be used to help them in the future. A company that prints business Forms can create specially designed sheets that can be used to record this type of information.
Once this latest batch of young reptiles is ready, they will also be set free at the lake in the springtime.
Get a Free Quote for Forms
