Shannon Burns the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Community Engagement Specialist came and introduced the club to the Blanding's Turtle an endangered species from our area.
Relief for a Rare Reptile
By the end of the last century, the state-endangered Blanding's turtle was already suffering from fragmented and shrinking wetland habitats, and new research was giving ecologists even more bad news. The local population was comprised mainly of adults with few juveniles or young adults: The turtles were dying off faster than they could be replaced.
That's why in 1996 the Forest Preserve District began the region's first Blanding' turtle "head-start" program.
Our Partners
During the program’s 22 years, the Forest Preserve District has expanded it to include Wheaton Park District’s Cosley Zoo, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Brookfield Zoo, St. Charles Park District, and the John G. Shedd Aquarium. Research has also been conducted with many local institutions such as Benedictine University, University of Illinois, Loyola University, Wheaton College, Western Illinois University, Northern Illinois University and Governors State University.
Our partnerships allow us to expand and improve the head-start program, a collaborative effort that has a much greater chance for success and impact than would our single agency tackling species' recovery on its own.
