Adorable baby Western pond turtle discovered at S.F. lake in Presidio, a sign of ecological comeback

This article is from April, but it’s the first I’ve heard of this. The turtles we reintroduced to Mountain Lake in SF have HAD BABIES! This is amazingly good news! These turtles had been extirpated (driven locally extinct) from the lake at some point in the past, and the fact that the introduced turtles are able to reproduce means that this population might be able to sustain itself into the future. LOVE THIS SO MUCH!

Jessica Flores
April 29, 2021

Article originally posted here: https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/article/Adorable-baby-western-pond-turtle-discovered-at-16140128.php



Presidio Trust ecologists found a tiny, quarter-size Western pond turtle at Mountain Lake in San Francisco in April. Courtesy Jonathan Young

Two Presidio Trust ecologists said they found the first baby turtle at Mountain Lake this month after reintroducing the species to the lake in 2015.


Presidio Trust ecologists found a tiny Western pond turtle at Mountain Lake in San Francisco. Courtesy Jonathan Young

The tiny, quarter-size Western pond turtle was found two weeks ago at the lake while a group of ecologists were testing turtles for a deadly fungus at Mountain Lake in San Francisco.

It was “a major milestone for urban aquatic ecology,” ecologist David Harelson told The Chronicle on Thursday. “The fact that we identified that they’re breeding — they become more of a sustainable population, which is the exciting part.”

The small, but very cute discovery was an exciting accomplishment for the ecologists because invasive fish in the lake tend to eat everything — including baby turtles. Western pond turtles are also the last remaining native freshwater turtles in California, said Harelson.

“There are likely more, but of course there are predators,” he said.

In partnership with the San Francisco Zoo and Sonoma State University, ecologists reintroduced 55 Western pond turtles in 2015. The lake’s restoration project started in 2012, removing more than 4 million gallons of sediment and increasing the lake’s depth by 15 feet, according to park officials.

“The Presidio Trust is making strides to increase biodiversity in the park by restoring habitat that enables native species to thrive,” spokeswoman Lisa Petrie said in an email to The Chronicle.

As of this year, ecologists have reintroduced chorus frogs, three-spine stickleback fish, the California floater mussel and the San Francisco forktail damselfly to the lake.

If you want to see some turtles basking in the sun, Harelson recommends going to the south shore of the lake near the playground and bringing a really good pair of binoculars.

Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Ecosystem Exploration

This week, I’m using some Virtual Field materials in one of my classes (Ecosystem Exploration: https://thevirtualfield.org/virtual…/ecosystem-exploration).

In addition to the questions provided with the videos, I’m going to ask them to do some additional field journaling, including sketches. Here are the two I drew as examples (based on the Mojave Desert video), to give them some inspiration. (They aren’t expected to render things as completely as the tortoise, but the level of detail in the plant illustration should be doable by everyone).

As an aside, I think that Gopherus agassizii was the first scientific name I ever learned. My parents had hand towels with these tortoises (along with the name). Wow. It’s not actually too surprising that I’m such a nerd.

SAFE Western Pond Turtle Video

I might be biased, but this is a fantastic video about western pond turtles . . . the segment starting at 5:00 features the field site where I did my thesis research. The fellow being interviewed is my advisor, Nick Geist. And that’s your’s truly measuring the turtles in preparation to release them back into the lake. SO FAMOUS! 🙂

These Crazy Cute Turtles Want their Lake Back

Hey, these are MY turtles! (Well, not just mine, but these are Geist Lab turtles. So I guess I could call them OUR turtles).

“Boxed in by a freeway, a golf course and a neighborhood, it’s a miracle that San Francisco’s Mountain Lake even exists. But not only is the tiny lake—located on the south end of the city’s Presidio park—still there, it now provides one of the few places in San Francisco where visitors can watch California’s only native aquatic turtle bask in the sun.”

Read the rest of the article here: http://ww2.kqed.org/science/2016/01/26/these-crazy-cute-baby-turtles-want-their-lake-back/

At Mountain Lake, One Last Chance to See the Turtles Off

 

Another Bay Nature article featuring turtles from our lab. I’m quoted in this one! 

A Western pond turtle, ready for release into Mountain Lake. (Photo by Charity Vargas Photography, courtesy Presidio Trust)
A Western pond turtle, ready for release into Mountain Lake. (Photo by Charity Vargas Photography, courtesy Presidio Trust)

by on October 14, 2015

 

“This turtle release is symbolic of so much transformation,” said Michael Boland, chief of planning, projects, and programs at the Presidio Trust. Mountain Lake, he said, is not just about Mountain Lake, it’s about how the environment is managed: “Nature survives in cities because of people.”

Which, said Sonoma State lecturer Wendy St. John, is one reason the project has succeeded. People around the lake have rallied to its restoration. “This is their neighborhood, not just a touristy area,” St. John said. “It’s been a community effort.”

Read the rest of the article here: https://baynature.org/article/at-mountain-lake-one-last-chance-to-see-the-turtles-off/

Super Science Saturday – Mountain Lake

I was at this event, representing SSU. (As a matter of fact, that’s my son at the far left of the first photo, at the booth he and I were manning). Super cool!

“Last Saturday, over 200 people gathered at Mountain Lake for Super Science Saturday, a celebration of the reestablishment of native wildlife populations at the lake. The day was filled with fun activities like face painting, information booths, and turtle-related crafts. Highlights of the day included the second and final release of Western pond turtles into the lake and a talk by San Francisco Zoo‘s Jessie Bushell on the partnership between the Presidio Trust, Sonoma State University, and the SF Zoo that made the turtles’ return possible. Event attendees watch from the lake’s edge as Trust staff released 26 turtles. This group joins 28 other Western pond turtles released by the Trust in July. This threatened species is the only freshwater turtle native to California. Their release into Mountain Lake is a big boost to conservation efforts for these unique and beloved animals, and another big step in the ongoing restoration of the lake.”

Native Turtles Return to Mountain Lake

Originally posted on the San Francisco Bay Area National Parks Science and Learning Blog

Although no one knows exactly when western pond turtles vanished from Mountain Lake in the Presidio of San Francisco, they are known to have been abundant historically. Now, as part of the ongoing restoration of Mountain Lake, this long-extirpated species is back. On July 18th, 28 western pond turtles reared by the San Francisco Zoo were released into the lake before an audience of more than 70 people. The release follows similar releases of other native species including Pacific chorus frogs and three-spined sticklebacks earlier in the year.

The western pond turtle release is also part of a research effort to determine which of two different release methods is better for the turtles in terms of their stress hormone levels. Half of turtles were brought to Mountain Lake and kept in a protected enclosure for three weeks to acclimate ahead of their release, while the rest were released without an acclimation period. All had their stress hormone levels measured upon their release and are equipped with radio transmitters so they can be relocated and have their hormone levels re-measured in the coming weeks and years. The preliminary results will inform another round of western pond turtle releases at Mountain Lake on September 12th and contribute to knowledge about native species reestablishment efforts in general. Future reestablishment projects at Mountain Lake may include the Pacific newt and the California red-legged frog.

Check out the SF Gate article or the Bay Nature article for additional coverage of the recent western pond turtle release.

Western Pond Turtle Archive

This is a collection of articles written about western pond turtles. The first section features articles about the headstarting project run by our lab in collaboration with both the Oakland and San Francisco zoos. The second section contains articles of a more general nature.

Headstarting Western Pond Turtles

1024x1024Bay Area Zoo and Sonoma State University to Release Westen Pond Turtles (National Geographic, August 17, 2012)

Oakland Zoo to Release Turtles to Wild (SFGate, August 9, 2012)

Miscellaneous Turtle Links

Western Pond Turtles Being Reintroduced to Southern Marin Park Sites (SFNPS, November 30, 2016).

Western Pond Turtle Reintroduction Begins (SFNPS, July 29, 2016)

SAFE Western Pond Turtle (I am in this video, briefly) (March 16, 2016)

Mountain Lake Reintroduction Archive

This is a collection of posts about the reintroduction of western pond turtles into the Presidio. My lab hatched these turtles, and another grad student in my lab is doing research at the lake. My involvement with this project was limited to egg collection and hatching the turtles who would later be released. I am, however, quoted in one of the articles.

goga-mountain_lake_presidio_trust_600The Western Pond Turtles in remediated Mountain Lake are doing well (Richmond District Blog, June 02, 2016)

Threatened Species Of Turtle Now Thriving Again In San Francisco’s Mountain Lake  (CBS SF Bay Area, May 31, 2016)

Native turtles growing steadily at SF’s Mountain Lake (San Francisco Examiner, May 31, 2016)

Why is there an antenna attached to this western pond turtle? (Mother Nature Network, January 27, 2016)

These Crazy Cute Turtles Want Their Lake Back (KQED, January 27, 2016)

At Mountain Lake, One Last Chance to See the Turtles Off (Bay Nature, October 14, 2015)

SSU Teams Up With Bay Area Zoos to Help Save Threatened Turtles (Sonoma State University, October 6, 2015)

Super Science Saturday – Mountain Lake (Presidio of San Francisco Facebook, September 16, 2015)

Presidio Trust Partners with SF Zoo and Sonoma State to Return Native Turtles to Mountain Lake (Presidio Trust press release, September 12, 2015)

Native Turtles Return to Mountain Lake (SFNPS, August 31, 2015)

After Decades Away, Western Pond Turtles Come Home to Mountain Lake (Bay Nature, July 28, 2015)

Turtles returned to their historic home at Mountain Lake (SFGate, July 20, 2015)

Scientists to perform first-of-its-kind study on turtles released into SF lake (San Francisco Examiner, July 16, 2015

Mountain Lake At Presidio Growing In Diversity With Recovery Of Stickleback Fish And Other Species (National Parks Traveler, April 13, 2015

Presidio Trust Releases First Native Species Into Mountain Lake (Presidio Trust press release, April 03, 2015)

Bottom Up at Mountain Lake (Bay Nature, January 30, 2015)

Ready, Set, Reintroduce! (SFNPS, January 29, 2015)

San Francisco’s Presidio Trust Killing Fish to Save a Lake (AllGov California, October 27, 2014)

California Lake Poisoned to Get Rid of Invasive Fish (Seeker, October 20, 2014)

Presidio Trust unveils plan to rid Mountain Lake of invasive fish (SFGate, October 18, 2014)

Lake Effects (National Geographic, April 7, 2014)

All of These Monster Invasive Fish Came Out of One Small San Francisco Lake (Bay Nature, March 20, 2014)

Bringing life back to Mountain Lake (Bay Nature, February 27, 2017)