Blanding’s Turtle Conservation in Iowa
Blanding’s turtles are native to Iowa. They are common among the wetlands, grassland, and woodland habitats found all over Iowa. A late spring snowstorm In April 2009 caused a major mortality event for these turtles in Iowa, and they are being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
In this Blanding’s turtle conservation project, Iowa organizations and agencies are working together to conserve habitat and give newly hatched turtles a head start so that they hopefully become less endangered. Scientists capture turtles, hatch the eggs, and raise the Blanding’s turtles in order to release them back into their environment.
Iowa Core Standard
Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for increasing environmental sustainability and biodiversity.
Driving Question
- How can conservation efforts reduce human impacts and help endangered species, such as Blanding’s turtles?
Probing Questions
- What human impacts are identified in the video?
- How do these human activities affect the Blanding’s turtle population?
- Why might it be important for turtles to be hatched and raised in the zoo before being released? How would a declining Blanding’s turtle population impact the Iowa wetland ecosystem?
Classroom Suggestions
Students could:
- Research human impacts on other endangered species found in Iowa,
- Design solutions to reduce human impacts on the same or different species in Iowa.
- Create a model food web to explain changes in the ecosystem when predation increases.
Resources
- Blank Park Zoo | Blanding Turtle Release Video of turtles from the head-start program being released back into their native habitat.
- Iowa PBS | Iowa Life: Iowa Lakeside Laboratories History & Modern Day Research on Blanding Turtles In Okoboji: Iowa Lakeside Laboratories is a regents' biological field school, founded by Thomas MacBride for the purpose of studying nature in nature. Today scientists and students continue to live out his legacy.
- Iowa DNR | Blanding Turtles Head Start: This video offers an additional perspective about this project at Blank Park Zoo.
Contributors
Contributed by Gabrielle Beckman as part of the Iowa STEM Teacher Externship program.
Video provided courtesy Blank Park Zoo.
Funding for Iowa Science Phenomena Provided By
