Turtle trackers needed for Ningaloo nesting season
08 Dec 2004
It's that time again, the seasons are changing, it's getting hotter and on the North West Cape there are turtles to be found. Summer is the season for turtle tracking on Ningaloo Reef.
There are seven species of marine turtles worldwide, three of which are known to nest on the beaches and islands adjacent to the Ningaloo Reef. These include the threatened green turtles (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), and endangered loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta).
The Ningaloo Community Turtle Monitoring Program (NCTMP) uses volunteer 'Turtle Trackers' to monitor numbers of species of turtles that nest on the beaches and any evidence of predation or disturbance to their nests.
Volunteer and Exmouth resident Coralie McLeod walked the beaches near her home at 5:30am to monitor turtles for the program last year, and now she can?t wait to do it again.
"I really enjoy interpreting what the tracks tell us, and it's just so nice being out there on those turtle nesting beaches at that time of the day ? it's a magical time," Ms McLeod said.
Ms McLeod and other volunteers will hit the beaches from December through to the end of February, when the turtles emerge from the sea to nest.
Locals, visitors from throughout Australia and international tourists volunteer to trace the tracks left by nesting turtles in the night, spending two to three hours collecting data for the community turtle monitoring program.
The Cape Conservation Group, the Department of Conservation and Land Management, Murdoch University and WWF-Australia set up the NCTMP in 2002 after a successful trial monitoring effort during the 2001-2002 nesting season.
WWF Turtle Conservation Officer Allison Richards said the program provides data valuable for turtle conservation and management.
"Monitoring provides much needed information about key breeding and nesting beaches, fox predation, inappropriate human interactions, loss of nesting habitat, and other threats to the long-term survival of turtle populations in the Ningaloo region," Ms Richards said.
"This program informs visitors and the local community about the impact of their conduct on turtles while offering an opportunity to contribute to turtle conservation.
"Volunteers don't need previous experience because the training provided by the program teaches them to identify turtle species and their tracks and record other data needed for the monitoring program," she said.
Participants must pass a field competency assessment and be supervised by an adult if under the age of 18.
Certified 'Turtle Trackers' determine if a nesting attempt was successful, use a hand-held Global Positioning System to record nest location, identify feral animal prints and describe nest disturbance.
"Volunteers may also observe turtles returning to the sea, see hatchlings emerge from nests, assist in turtle rescues and observe the nesting process at night," Ms Richards said.
Ms Richards said the flexible program ensures there are many options for volunteers.
"Turtle Trackers don't have to monitor every morning ? monitoring once a week or even once a fortnight is appreciated," she said.
"We also need help with office work such as data entry and analysis or organising volunteer groups."
Limited subsidised accommodation is available on a first come, first serve basis. Volunteers may also camp at the Bundera Remote Camp for five days if they monitor in the Bundera Coastal Protection Area, a potentially important turtle nesting beach.
The community turtle monitoring program is a component of the Ningaloo Marine Turtle Program (NMTP). The NMTP provides educational interpretive activities at the new Jurabi Turtle Centre, for which an opening celebration will be held on 18 December. The centre is in Jurabi Coastal Park, approximately 28 kilometres from Exmouth. The program also offers a turtle tour guide training course through Exmouth TAFE.
The program receives financial support from Natural Heritage Trust, Perpetual Trustees, the Commonwealth Department of Defence, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure's Coastwest Program and the Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation WildlifeLink program.
Ms McLeod, who attended a workshop recently to refresh her skills for the new season, said she encourages everyone who is interested to join in.
"You're doing something that's worthwhile for conservation, but you're also doing something for yourself - you feel good about it," she said.
Sign up to become a turtle tracker.
For further information about the Ningaloo Community Turtle Monitoring Program:
Visit the program information page.
Contact Allison Richards on 08 9949 1676.
or Roland Mau, CALM Exmouth 08 9949 1676
or Sydney Press Office, Jacqueline McArthur Communications Officer 02 9281 5515 or Mobile 0408626780
