Article by: Tina Watters
Junior Biologist CVWMA
At the end of April, staff at the CVWMA were joined by students from Selkirk College completing their first year of the 2-year Recreation, Fish & Wildlife Program. An essential component of their program is the hands-on field work they complete to help prepare them for an environmental career. For the past 10 years, Selkirk College students have been joining us for two days to help with various stewardship and land management projects. This year they helped us tackle the maintenance and construction of our turtle fence.
Spanning over 1,000 meters, the 75 cm tall turtle fence runs along the east side of West Creston Road, separating Corn Creek Marsh from the busy road. Western Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta bellii) generally lay their eggs within 150 m upland of a pond in dry, light soils. The CVWMA has built several nesting areas for the turtles within Corn Creek Marsh to provide nesting habitat for the females; the fence is built above these nesting sites to encourage their use. These habitat enhancements prevent the Western Painted Turtles from crossing West Creston Road to lay their eggs, and when the young hatch and leave their nest, they avoid having to cross the road again to get back into the wetland.
The Selkirk College students assisted in relocating portions of the current fence higher up the slope to prevent further damage from changing water levels. Pieces of the old fencing were no longer usable and were replaced with new materials. Using their keen attention to detail, the students walked the fence line, reinforcing sections and filling in gaps where the turtles may have been able to cross. Additionally, groups checked each installed nesting area, pulling out invasive weeds and raking the gravel to make it soft and pliable for nesting females.
After an intensive morning shift, the students were joined by staff members at the CVWMA and given a tour of Corn Creek Marsh, led by the Head of Conservation Programs Marc-André Beaucher. During the tour, staff members, two being graduates of Selkirk College, chatted with the students about their different roles within the organization and the various career pathways available in the environmental field. Beaucher gave an overview of the history of the Management Area and how the CVWMA manages the landscape on an ecosystem-level approach through careful monitoring of water levels and surveying various flora and fauna species. Students were given insight into how adaptive management is used to secure this beautiful area for the next generations of people to enjoy and for wildlife (and turtles) to thrive.
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