The 2025-26 nesting season for the Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina oblonga) has begun.
Recent information and training sessions held by the City of Cockburn have doubled the number of volunteer Turtle Trackers to help keep females safe as they leave wetlands and lakes in search of soft soil to lay their eggs.
More than 100 people attended one information and two training sessions held in late August and early September. About 60 new Turtle Tracker volunteers are keen to join the 60 recruits already active in the Cockburn community.
City of Cockburn Environmental Education Officer Vicky Hartill said turtle tracking would be underway by mid-September with nesting peaking until November, but could continue until January.
“The beloved reptiles, also known as yaakan, booyi, long-necked or oblong turtles, are common at Cockburn wetlands but are also found in waterways throughout the Perth metropolitan area and in WA’s South West region,” Mrs Hartill said.
“It has been fantastic to see the community really get behind this important citizen science program which began as a pilot project in the City at Bibra Lake in 2019.
“Turtle Tracker volunteers sometimes need to venture out in rainy, stormy weather as that is when females seem to favour laying their eggs. It is an extremely vulnerable time for the females as they leave the safety of the water.
“Our volunteers are trained to protect the turtles to continue their natural behaviour in an environment that now has many restrictions due to human habitation, like roads, pets, feral predators and climate change.”
At a recent Turtle Tracker information session attended by seasoned wildlife volunteers Brian and Janet Bell, Mr Bell said the satisfaction of learning the correct way to safeguard the turtles while they were at their most vulnerable was “highly satisfying”.
“These turtles were here long before us and we all live in their environment, so it’s a guaranteed ‘warm fuzzy’ for us to help them thrive in the habitats we all value, such as the wetlands and lakes of Cockburn,” Mr Bell said.
“Some of these habitats are close to our homes and the roads we drive on so being able to help the turtles continue to carry out their natural behaviours keeps our communities rich, healthy and diverse.
“Turtle Trackers are sentinels, watching over turtles as they go about their natural behaviour. Touching them is the last resort. We keep dangers at bay so they can continue to play their part in the local ecosystem.”
Be a citizen scientist! Help turtles this nesting season by:
- Record your turtle sightings using TurtleSAT
- If you see a turtle, inform a turtle tracker if one onsite
- If in danger, support them in the direction they were heading
- Protect them from predators - wave off ravens impacting turtles
- Take any injured turtles to WA Wildlife, 172 Hope Road, Bibra Lake. Keep a box and towel in your car for safe transport
- Ensure dogs are on a lead
- Drive slowly around wetlands.