Trackers and Drones Help the Blanding's Turtle Rebound in Ohio

Endangered at the federal level, Blanding’s turtles aren’t doing the best in Ohio, where 90% of the animal’s habitat — native wetland — has been erased, causing a sharp decline in the animal’s Ohio populations.

For example, no one had seen a Blanding’s turtle in Mentor Marsh Nature Preserve in more than 90 years, according to a Cleveland Museum of Natural History representative.

That is, until recently. A group of nonprofit and governmental organizations banded together in 2020 to help the yellow-throated turtle regain population in Mentor Marsh, using a high-tech shell accessory to help.

First, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium hatched 20 baby Blanding’s turtles, which then were transferred to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and Wild4Ever to raise them for two years. 

RELATED: Meet our full list of more than 35 resilient and adorable critters from our September 2024 issue.

This past June, when they were big enough to survive in the wild, each of the creatures was affixed with a GPS tracking unit, powered by solar panels, on their shell. The GPS will allow scientists to document the animal’s movements and range. Data has also been collected with a drone, according to CMNH, with the goal of identifying successful habitats for the animal for future reintroductions.

“This is a project that brings together an array of community partners to problem solve for a common cause,” says veterinarian Dr. Gary Riggs and co-founder of the nonprofit Wild4Ever. “It also brings together our passions for animal wellbeing, species protection and habitat conservation.”

The project builds on other local Blanding’s turtle reintroduction efforts, like one conducted by the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and John Carroll University at Sheldon’s Marsh in Huron.

RELATED: Northern Ohio’s Only Venomous Snake is a Focus of Conservation

(Photo courtesy Greater Cleveland Aquarium)

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, publishing 12 times a year with immersive features, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.