From Industrial Relic to Wildlife Corridor: Establishing Wood Turtle Nesting Along Pine Creek Rail Trail

Elaine Langone Center, Terrace Room

The wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta), a native of the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, continues to face pressures from habitat loss and predation. According to the IUCN Red List, the wood turtle is “endangered,” meaning that the species’ cumulative decline over the past 100 years is likely to have exceeded 50%. Considering their low reproduction rates and delayed sexual maturity, continuing research on their reproductive activities and nesting success rate is warranted. This study focuses on the utilization of the Pine Creek Rail Trail by wood turtles for nesting purposes. While defunct railroads are relics from the industrial era in the nation, this particular aged infrastructure has been converted to a recreational space that contemporaneously functions as a wildlife corridor. By further investigating wood turtle activity through a nesting and hatching cycle, our goal was to uncover factors that may be beneficial in promoting stability in population. Nests were found along the entirety of the rail trail. Given that each year a female will only construct one nest, the quantity of nests observed via evidence from predation suggest that there is a significant population attempting to reproduce. Our findings will contribute to developing conservation approaches and strategies for development, management, and environmental naturalization.