The hour is early, and highway Route 30 is abuzz. Not far off, in a field known as the “Hampstead Bypass,” a petite female bog turtle emerges from her nest of tussock sedge, a plant indigenous to eastern U.S. wetlands and meadows. She wears a glossy black shell and is marked with distinct orange blotches, one on each side of her head. She has just awakened from a long hibernation. Aiming to find a spot of sunlight to bask in, she slowly but surely travels among her familiar environment. Suddenly, the turtle is stopped in her tracks. She has encountered an alien plant species the “common reed.” These plants grow in thick clumps up to 10 feet in height. Because they are impenetrable, they often block bog turtle paths.
The bog turtles’ habitat is complete with native plants and grasses such as cattails, rushes, jewelweed, skunk cabbage, sedges, and sphagnum. All of these are favorable to bog turtles; they rely on them for nesting and as a major food source. However, the growth of foreign plants such as common reed and purple loosestrife are putting many aspects of the turtles’ lives at stake. Because these invaders are growing so rapidly, native plant species are faced with tough competition. These plants are a vital food source to the bog turtles, and if they die out, the species will be left with nothing to eat. Plentiful sunlight plays a vital role in the incubation of bog turtle eggs. Too much shade in the turtles’ habitats is a costly result of the common reeds’ lofty height and overgrowth. Because they are not receiving the necessary warmth for incubation, the survival of the turtle eggs is made extremely difficult. Since the species matures very slowly, reproductive rates among the turtles were low to begin with. If these invasive species continue to dominate the habitats, it will be nearly impossible for the bog turtle population to revive its numbers.
Bog turtles are endangered.. Fortunately, awareness is rising, and the State Highway Administration (SHA) is taking action. In a pilot program, a herd of 40 goats and sheep are grazing within the eight acre--Hampstead Bypass. These “Bypass Babies”, named by Hampstead and Sandymount Elementary school students, will be in the fields from May until September, eating common reed and purple loosestrife, ridding the turtles’ environment of the invaders. These goats offer a good potential solution, because if we were to remove the plants with machinery, the turtles could be harmed, and nests destroyed. Using cows to graze in the bypass was also considered, but the turtles could be crushed under the animal’s weight. The goats are light enough where this would not be much of an issue, and they will graze without paying mind to the turtles. The SHA is investing $10,000 into this project, which will last two years. With productive organizations involved in the conservation of the bog turtles, the vision of an invader-free habitat will surely be achieved.
“SHA is constantly seeking ways to be innovative and using goats certainly put us on the map for innovation,” says the State Highway Administration’s Charlie Gischlar, caretaker of the Bypass Babies, “The use of goats and sheep to control invasive species is a prudent way to be environmentally and financially responsible.”
Using cows to graze in the bypass was also considered, but then we would risk the turtles getting injured or crushed under the animal’s weight. The goats are light enough where this would not be much of an issue, and they will graze without paying mind to the turtles. The SHA’s method of invader-control may inspire the solutions to such problems in the future. “As of this time, there are no immediate plans to use grazing on other projects, but given the success of the Hampstead project, it is likely that sometime in the future, SHA will employ these means of vegetation control,” states Gischlar, “With productive organizations involved in the conservation of the bog turtles, the vision of an invader-free habitat will surely be achieved.”
Emma Pailer, who attended Oklahoma Middle School, is excited that she has become a published writer.
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