Turtle Survival

PARTNER NEWS
NORTH AMERICAN FRESHWATER TURTLE RESEARCH GROUP
Longtime volunteer Ben Williams with his haul of turtles at the first ever NAFTRG sample of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Florida) in March 2015. PHOTO CREDIT: NICOLE SALVATICO
The Multi-faceted Effects of
Research with the NAFTRG
Eric and Jessica Munscher
Participation in a research project can have profound
effects on the lives of those who volunteer
their time, money, and resources. Since partnering
with the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), the
North American Freshwater Turtle Research
Group (NAFTRG) volunteer opportunities have
become more accessible to the public, scientists,
and other professionals that are passionate about
turtle conservation. These opportunities have a
lasting impact on their lives.
We have had the privilege of sitting down
with two individuals that have shown their
devotion to turtle conservation by volunteering
with NAFTRG on many occasions. In speaking
with these individuals, one can get a better sense
of the positive impact that our research has, not
only for the turtles, but also in the lives of those
who dedicate their time and efforts to the group.
Christopher Havel is currently employed as a
Senior Aquarist at Sea World San Antonio in
Texas. Dr. Beth Walton is currently an Instructor
of Geospatial Technologies, Spatial Analysis and
Modeling at the University of South Florida.
Question: How do you, personally, assist in
research with the NAFTRG?
Havel: The main thing I do is help with the collection
of the turtles, donning a mask and snorkel
and gathering up every turtle I can find. It makes
for some friendly competition to see who will come
up with the most. Along with collecting turtles, I
also assist in processing and releasing the turtles,
which includes everything from separating them
by species, inserting PIT tags, marking shells for
identification, or taking weights and measurements
of each individual. Sea World, where I work, has donated
supplies in the form of PIT tags and is always
willing to loan out a kayak to the group.
Question: What have you learned from participating
in field studies that you have passed
on to others?
december 2015 58 turtle survival