Students from Investigator College in Victor Harbor have found and protected approximately 20 turtle nests from foxes with the help of trained sniffer dogs, as part of a pioneering school-based conservation project.

During six visits to the College’s 10-hectare Currency Creek site, English springer spaniels Hettie and Badger from Conservation and Detection Dogs SA showed students where to install nest guards.

Recently trained on hard-to-source turtle cloaca fluid scent, the dogs proved essential in locating nests that are notoriously subtle and difficult to spot.

Students undertaking the College’s Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management then installed protective mesh – which prevents foxes and other predators from disturbing the eggs, while allowing hatched turtles to escape.

Other project measures have included trialling sound and light-based fox deterrents (which proved effective in trials with chicken eggs) and the installation of surveillance cameras and basking platforms for turtles.

The College intends to continue with the project, involving additional year levels in future years in its bid to protect three ageing turtle populations: the Eastern long-necked turtle, Murray short-necked turtle, and Broad-shelled turtle.

The project is funded by Landscape Hills and Fleurieu. The College thanks other participants including Ngarrindjeri Thukabi Monitoring Program, the 1 Million Turtles Project, Nature Glenelg Trust, Aquasave, Adelaide University, Yarluwar-Ruwe Project, Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation, Strathalbyn Field Naturalists, and Barron Environmental.

Thanks to Investigator College for sharing this great story and allowing us to reproduce it.