Biologists with the organization Coastal Painted Turtle Project (CPTP) have been working on BC's coast, including the qathet region, restoring endangered painted turtle habitat. In 2010, Cranberry Lake was one such location that biologists Aimee Mitchell and colleague Vanessa Kilburn with City of Powell River parks, recreation and culture department’s assistance created a turtle nesting ground.
Emily Lake on Texada Island has also been a place of interest for painted turtle conservation. In a February 29 media release Lafarge Canada announced a $100,000 in-kind donation over five years to environmental conservation for British Columbia’s Coastal Painted Turtle Project.
The company wants the donation to "support, safeguard and enhance the habitats of the endangered western painted turtle populations across the Lower Mainland, Texada Island and Okanagan regions of British Columbia," stated the media release. Lafarge is one of Canada's biggest suppliers of concrete and cement and operates on Texada.
“Contributions made by Lafarge to the Coastal Painted Turtle Project will ensure that enhanced habitats are monitored for effectiveness at successfully producing the next generation of turtles and recruitment into the population. The funding also provides valuable resources for monitoring various turtle populations to assess head-started turtles' survival and reproductive success, which take four to five years to mature for males and eight to ten years for females. The next few years are significant for collecting this data as headstart turtles released eight years ago are starting to come up to nest," stated project manager for Coastal Painted Turtle Project, Aimee Mitchell, in the media release.
The donation will support various initiatives crucial to the protection and restoration of painted turtle habitats. These efforts will encompass population monitoring, rearing, releasing, habitat restoration and creation.
"The rate of urbanization across Coastal and Interior British Columbia poses significant challenges to habitat and biodiversity,” stated Lincoln Kyne, senior vice-president of BC and US Pacific Northwest Lafarge Canada. “Through progressive reclamation and creation of turtle habitat around our mining operations and supporting habitat rehabilitation within the province, our partnership with the CPTP aims to enhance habitats within and beyond our operations."
Kyne indicated that the company has been working with the CPTP team since 2010 and praised the organization for its work, effectively preserving biodiversity and reclassifying coastal painted turtles from endangered to threatened on the Provincial Species at Risk registry.
Over 10 years ago a patch of soft gravel and some basking logs were installed at Cranberry Lake in Powell River in order to encourage the turtles to lay eggs and have a place to soak up the sun.
"In British Columbia's ecosystems, western painted turtles serve as vital indicators of environmental health and actively contribute to habitat balance. By backing initiatives such as the Coastal Painted Turtle Project, Lafarge Canada aids in conserving this endangered species and preserving biodiversity and ecological integrity in the region," stated the media release.
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