Turtle eggs healthy sign at U-M-Dearborn

Tomatoes aren't the only things growing this summer in the community organic garden on the U-M-Dearborn campus. A Blanding's Turtle recently laid more than a dozen eggs in one of the garden's plots.

Blanding's Turtle eggs found on the Dearborn campus (Photo courtesy U-M-Dearborn)

While not endangered, Blanding's Turtles have been identified as a special concern for wildlife biologists because of an apparent decline in their population in recent years. Raccoons and other animals often destroy their eggs, and adult specimens sometimes are taken from natural settings to be sold for pets.

"So that's why we want to take efforts to ensure that they'll be protected," says David Mifsud, a wetland stewardship coordinator with the community group Friends of the Rouge, which has its office on the U-M-Dearborn campus.

Mifsud is a biologist who has a scientific collector's permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to gather animals and eggs that are threatened by predators or human activities. He recovered the eggs and will keep them in a safe environment until they hatch. He will return them to natural areas on campus later this year or early next.

"The fact that this turtle is thriving here is a good measure of the environment on campus," says Rick Simek, supervisor in U-M-Dearborn's Environmental Interpretive Center. "We have a range of healthy habitats for turtles to grow to maturity and lay their eggs for the next generation."