Biologists Enlist Best Noses in Town to Protect At-risk Turtles
By Wildlife Biologist Katie Smith, Golden Gate National Recreation Area; and Science Communication Specialist Jessica Weinberg McClosky, San Francisco Bay Area Inventory & Monitoring Network
May 2024 – We may not be able to swim around and bask in the sun every day like western pond turtles. Nor do we need to, being warm-blooded. Still, spotting a basking turtle can be a fun reminder to slow down our busy lives where we can. Thanks to park biologists and partners, visitors again have turtle-spotting opportunities in popular parts of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Presidio of San Francisco where they had vanished. But the turtles still need help growing their numbers. Cue an unlikely conservation hero: Canis lupus familiaris, the domestic dog! This May and June, specially trained dogs are helping biologists find and protect vulnerable turtle nests in the park. Read more…
