Wood Turtle Working Group Plans

At the 2009 NEPARC meeting, the Wood Turtle Working Group was formed to create a forum to discuss the conservation issues surrounding the wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta). Over 20 people attended this inaugural meeting. State, federal, nonprofit, academia and private interests were all represented. Five issues emerged as priorities for the group to address: state by state status, NatureServe ranking, monitoring protocols, integrating Canada and MWPARC and the role of non-profit organizations. Of these issues, the following tasks to be completed over the next year were identified: contact Canadian representatives, investigate the feasibility of a Wood Turtle Status Assessment, identify point person from each state, develop monitoring protocols, identify NGOs that may be of assistance and develop an educational brochure.