The Maine Turtle Roadkill Survey project, which began in 2018, is enlisting volunteers to monitor roadways around Maine to help identify what species of turtles are crossing where — and what road crossings are most hazardous. Specific routes have been identified as sites where turtle crossings may be more likely, and volunteers are needed to survey those routes. 

A session to train volunteers is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church, 1100 Washington St., Bath.

Participants will be trained in turtle species identification, road safety and proper data collection methods. They are asked to survey routes at least three times May through September.

“One of the greatest threats that Maine’s turtles face is making it across roads safely as they make their slow and steady way from wintering grounds to nesting sites and back again, and you can help reduce this threat,” states a press release. “For slow-moving species like turtles, getting across a roadway alive is a real challenge. And for species that live a long time but don’t reproduce until they’re quite old, losing just a few breeding adults annually can lead to a declining population, or even local extinction.”

Training is free, but registration is required. Contact Maine Audubon Conservation Assistant Hannah Young, 207.781.2330 x219 or hyoung@maineaudubon.org, to register.

Registration is also available online at:

https://maineaudubon.coursestorm.com/maineaudubon/course/turtle-roadkill-survey-training4

The Maine Turtle Roadkill Survey project is a partnership between Maine Audubon, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust, and MaineDOT. It was funded in part by the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, in which proceeds from the sale of a dedicated instant lottery ticket are used to support outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation.