<div><strong>The European Pond Turtle Project</strong> is a groundbreaking reintroduction plan, set to be the <strong>first extinct reptile re-established in Britain</strong>…But we need your help!
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<div>The pond turtle disappeared as late as the Roman invasion of Britain, <strong>around 2,000 years ago.</strong> Their disappearance was due to a few key factors; <strong>a cooling climate</strong>, <strong>hunting</strong>, and <strong>habitat loss.</strong> One of the reasons we want to reintroduce them - now - is because we are facing a period of notable climatic warming, especially in Europe, where the turtles' liveable range is shifting quickly northwards… however, the turtles cannot keep up!
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<div>As much of southwestern Europe becomes too warm for the species to cope, the UK will become a safe haven for the species. However, the migration of the pond turtle will have to be done with the helping hand of humans. <strong>Our mission is to translocate turtles from Europe to a highly suitable, enclosed habitat in England, to test their ability to safely live in our ecosystem. </strong>
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<div>Below are some of the benefits this species has on the ecosystems it inhabits:
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<div><strong>Sediment disruption</strong>: by searching for food in the waterbed, the turtles disturb the sediment, circulating nutrients in the water, reducing stagnancy, and in turn, boosting the health of the wetland habitat for a whole host of other species.
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<div><strong>Wetland plant seed distribution</strong>: they have been known to aid in the dispersal of rare plant species due to their omnivorous diet and large home range.
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<div><strong>Freshwater ‘cleaners’</strong>: pond turtles are big carrion consumers, removing decomposing organisms from water courses, and preventing often lethal algal blooms.
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<div>This project will run for <strong>5 years</strong>, with the first year establishing a breeding group of turtles, in one of <strong>Europe's largest turtle-holding facilities</strong>, where they will be kept outdoors, year-round, to acclimate to the UK's conditions. Each subsequent year we hope to release batches of adult captive-bred turtles, into a large outdoor enclosure, where they will live essentially a 'wild' life. The project will monitor how well the turtles can thrive in the UK, tracking their movements and habits, whilst observing whether the turtles can reliably breed.
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<div>A big question we are trying to find an answer to is, <strong>"can European pond turtles' eggs incubate in the UK?"</strong>. If the answer to that question is <strong>yes</strong>, we believe it will be, a case for a wild reintroduction will be made to the governing bodies.
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Kyle Damron

Viktorie Řehová

charlie cox

Anonymous

Stuart Clover

Rachael Christie

steven easdon

Lauren Turner-Hoad

Hayden Butterworth

Gareth Leonard

Vivienne Adam

Jeffrey T Bosshart

Finn Porter

Help Fund the Return of the European Pond Turtle

Help Fund the Return of the European Pond Turtle

Still £21,714 to go. Help us build momentum.