Chapter 5

Field Research

So how do organizations dedicated to turtle conservation and rehabilitation know if their work is successful? Sometimes it’s easy to tell: a turtle with a damaged shell comes in to a center, has its shell repaired and is returned to its home in the wild. Or perhaps the eggs of a deceased mother are harvested, incubated and hatched, saving a dozen unborn turtles from certain death.

Other times, though, it’s not as easy to tell what needs to be done, or how best to do it. That’s where field research and study come in. Field research is a natural extension of the work being done in a center, and it is essential to the conservation mission. Field research can involve many things, from tracking released headstarted turtles and performing population surveys to analyzing road mortalities and creating “ecopassages.” Often, field research involves centers and organizations around the world working together on behalf of the turtles.

Going home: This adult snapping turtle is being released back into the wild — a satisfying part of field work.