Blanding’s Turtle Recovery Efforts In Illinois Bolstered By $260,000 State Grant
The researchers will work on revising the proposed criteria for the recovery efforts of the species in the state.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has awarded Northern Illinois University Biological Sciences Prof. Richard King with a $260,000 grant to create a framework for the recovery and conservation management of the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). In addition, the duo received a $119,000 grant to reintroduce the species into a restored county wetland site.
The grant, according to a university news release, will enable both King and Ph.D. student Callie Klatt Golba to expand their conservation efforts DuPage, Lee and Winnebago counties over the next three years.
“Blanding’s turtles are good representatives of Midwestern ecosystems,” Golba said in a statement released by the university. “They use prairies, wetlands and forest areas native to the region. They’re also what we call an umbrella species—by conserving them, we can preserve a suite of other species.”
The researchers will work on revising the proposed criteria for the recovery efforts of the species in the state. They will work on custom management actions and conduct research that looks at existing management practices, and assess the populations of the turtle where they are less well known, according to the university.
https://reptilesmagazine.com/blandin...0-state-grant/
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