Hundreds of turtle-tracking citizen scientists, trained under the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle (SOSNT) project, are playing a crucial role in helping to protect the south-western snake-necked turtle from becoming endangered.

These passionate volunteers go beyond protecting turtle nests on the ground, they also play a critical role in collecting valuable data instrumental in addressing one of the major challenges in turtle conservation - a lack of information.

In the 2022 nesting season, turtle trackers protected more than 280 turtle nests, improving the chances of hatchlings successfully emerging from these nests and helping boost the population of turtles in these wetlands.

However, despite the significant contribution of our current volunteers, the ongoing threats to the south-western snake-necked turtle require additional support.

The SOSNT team is now encouraging anyone interested in getting involved in this important work to sign up as a volunteer today. 

Harry Butler Institute Aquatic Ecologist Dr Stephen Beatty said although good progress has been made protecting the species, there is still a long way to go.

“While we’re on track to achieving goals in project wetlands, there are still many wetlands not being protected.

"We now need to expand the project across the entire range of this species if we’re to prevent local extinctions. We are calling on all local governments across the south-west of WA to join the SOSNT program, so we can expand our efforts to engage and train more members of the community in tracking and protecting this remarkable species,” he said.

Turtle ecologist Dr Anthony Santoro, also from the Harry Butler Institute, said thanks to citizen scientists, the SOSNT team has gained knowledge about the species that was previously unknown to science.

“The diligent work of these trained volunteers has enabled us to identify the timing and location of turtle nesting in each wetland and where threats, such as road strikes and predation, are prevalent. This vital information assists us in developing effective management plans ensuring the survival of the species," he said.

Participating in the project also provides a rewarding experience for the volunteers themselves.

City of Melville volunteer Sue Harper said it was an incredible experience collecting data during nesting season.  

“Our team of dedicated turtle trackers had such a rewarding opportunity safeguarding nest sites and defending them (turtles) against bird attacks as they returned to the lake," she said.

City of Cockburn volunteers also expressed how much enjoyment they found in the strong sense of community they quickly developed, and how the chance of seeing and protecting turtles became a compelling reason to explore the wetland area.

While collecting this vital data, trained turtle trackers are supported by SOSNT and the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions volunteer registration program.

The project is led by Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance with support from Murdoch University’s Harry Butler Institute, Conservation Volunteers Australia, the City of Cockburn, NatureLink Perth and 1 Million turtles, as well as many other partner organisations and local governments.

Turtle tracker training and turtle information sessions have been provided to volunteers in partner council areas as part of the SOSNT project – a LotteryWest-funded citizen science project aiming to upskill the community to track and protect turtles and their nests while providing information critical to preventing the local extinction of these endemic turtles.

Interested local governments and community members are urged to contact the SOSNT team by emailing sosnt@murdoch.edu.au. Project updates and information can also be found on the Saving Our Snake-necked Turtle Facebook page.

This research supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15, to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

You too could have a turtley awesome career saving endangered animals by studying Environmental and Conservation Sciences at Murdoch.