In the fall of 2023, Zoo New England and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program contacted the Acton Conservation Department with a plan to enhance the habitat for Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) along Nashoba Brook in Acton. The enhancements are designed to protect overwintering turtles from predators. Winter is a vulnerable time when Wood Turtles are often attacked by otters, who are known to bite off turtle legs.
The Conservation Commission will be considering Zoo New England’s habitat enhancement proposal at an upcoming hearing in January or February. Watch the Conservation Commission website or contact the Conservation Department (nr@acton-ma.gov or (978) 929-6634) to find out the date and time.
Zoo New England’s plan is to strategically cut down trees or utilize medium sized snags to place into the river to create log jams and branch/brush cover for turtles in the stream. Wood Turtles have been observed using fallen trees as wintering sites at Nashoba Brook. Scientists would target 4-8 medium-sized hardwood trees (maple or oak) along the brook that could be cut and dropped into the stream. A company would be hired to do the tree cutting and strategically place the trees within various segments of the stream where there are known locations of several radio-tracked Wood Turtles.
The Wood Turtle is endemic to the northeastern United States, and is found in western, central and northeastern Massachusetts. Acton has tiny populations of the turtle residing in and adjacent to Nashoba Brook and Fort Pond Brook. Across the state, the species’ populations are declining due to habitat fragmentation and degradation, as well as illegal collection and intensive agriculture cultivation near streams, according to a recent book edited by the Massachusetts State Herpetologist, Mike Jones. They are listed under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act as a “species of special concern.”
The Wood Turtle is so named because its carapace (top shell) looks like carved wood. They grow to 6-8 inches in length. According to a factsheet from the Mass Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, they like clear, sandy streams and require multiple habitats (high-quality stream, forest, open field, and nesting areas) in tight proximity, to complete their life cycle; this is a challenging requirement as streets, buildings, and parking lots interfere with these ranges. They can live to be more than 70 years old, although few hatchlings survive to adulthood. They have the ability to remember and navigate to locations even when displaced downstream by floods.
The Town of Acton Conservation Division (previously Natural Resources) has been working with local and state herpetologists for years to assist in monitoring and conservation strategies to keep these ancient animals from disappearing altogether. Turtles evolved more than 200 million years ago, and wood turtles have lived in Eastern North America since well before the beginning of the last ice age about 100,000 years ago. But as biologist Mike Jones bluntly stated in his 2010 Massachusetts Wildlife (Vol.LX, No.2) article: “If Wood Turtles were gone tomorrow, almost no one would notice because almost no one notices them now.”
Acton Wood Turtles are among several populations in Eastern Massachusetts monitored by Zoo New England’s Field Conservation Department, in a project launched in 2019. The turtles are tracked at multiple stream sites to better understand their movement patterns, habitat use, and survival rates. Zoo New England protects turtle nests from predators and “headstarts” hatchlings by raising them to a size where they are less vulnerable to predators. The goal is to build partnerships with local communities to identify key management actions while giving populations a little boost. According to Mike Jones, it is rare in the eastern part of the state to find sufficiently large and diverse landscapes to support thriving Wood Turtle populations.
That’s why Anna Campbell, Acton’s first female Eagle Scout and passionate herpetologist, conducted her project at Veteran’s Field to improve Wood Turtle nesting habitat. Supervised by Zoo New England’s Bryan Windmiller, Town Staff first hired a contr actor to scarify a sunny, sandy area behind the bleachers with a powerful mower to uproot invasive multiflora rose, honeysuckle, and black locust. Anna planted dozens of New Jersey Tea Plants and Sweet Fern, a short grass prairie seed mix, and other suitable species as foraging material. She hand-watered them throughout the summer with her help of dedicated community volunteer turtle lovers, who weeded invasive re-sprouts. Anna created and installed a beautiful, informative, outdoor educational panel at the project site. Her panel explains how Wood Turtles overwinter in local streams by hiding under roots or log jams. In November, 2022, Anna was recognized in the traditional Court of Honor ceremony for her Eagle Scout achievement.
Bettina Abe is a member of the Town of Acton Land Stewardship Committee. She was the Acton Conservation Assistant until her retirement in 2023.
