MUSKEGON, Mich. — Scott Yonkers has been catching turtles since he was a kid, growing up on a lake in a small town. Now he's using what he's learned about turtles over the years to help them thrive.
"I'm very passionate about it. It's something I enjoy doing and I love giving back," he said.
Yonkers learned a few things about wildlife rehabilitation when he was working as a veterinary technician and eventually he became a licensed turtle rehabilitator in Michigan. He brought a few of the turtles he's nursed back from injuries to a presentation in Muskegon Thursday night.
The presentation covered identifying the 10 species of turtles in Michigan, their habitat, and some of the rehab work he does for injured turtles. Yonkers also talked about conservation efforts.
"Michigan does have four species of protected turtles. Those are protected largely because their populations are declining with habitat being destroyed or developed for houses or other things. Their environments are limited and some of these turtles might have to be 20 years old before they're at breeding age so that definitely hurts their environment quite a bit," he said.
Yonkers says one of the best things people can do to help turtles is to know what to do if you see a turtle crossing the road.
"Move it in the same direction it's heading. Don't take it home. Don't take it to an environment you think is better for it. Just help it cross the road. The less interaction the better," he said.
Since 2004, Michigan has been home to a Herp Atlas Project. It's a citizen science program create to document the state's amphibians and reptiles and help measure trends in their populations. The Michigan Herp Atlas relies on observations of amphibians and reptiles being submitted to the project's website.
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