Putah Creek shoreline
The shoreline here was recently re-graded and scalloped to create a habitat for the native Western Pond Turtle.

The turtles are back!

A couple of weeks ago a grading project was taking place along our Putah Creek waterway to provide a research venue for faculty and students in Wildlife and Conservation Biology, create a much-needed waterway improvement for our campus utilities department, AND restore the habitat of the native Western Pond Turtle. Read more about this unique collaboration here.

Good news! The turtles are already back despite the area’s current lack of landscaping. As of Saturday, a representative from the department of evolution and ecology reported that he saw several Western Pond Turtles basking on the newly-engineered, scalloped eastern shoreline.

What’s next?
Staff from the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve will coordinate revegetating the area with seeds from native grasses at UC Davis’s own Russell Ranch. They will also work to locate a source for tule, and work with volunteers to plant it.

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