MENASHA, Wis. (WBAY) – Drivers in northeast Wisconsin may be seeing more turtles on roadways as nesting season ramps up, a local naturalist said.<\/p>\n
Andrea Bierbrauer, a naturalist and education ambassador at Heckrodt Wetland Reserve in Menasha, said turtles venture onto roads as they move between wetlands and higher ground to find nesting sites and new breeding territory. Many return to the same areas year after year \u2014 behavior she described as \u201cgenerational\u201d \u2014 even though roads now cut through routes they used long before development.<\/p>\n
Bierbrauer said turtles typically lay eggs out of the water in sandy or dirt-covered uplands, and they may also be traveling in search of food sources.<\/p>\n
If motorists spot a turtle struggling to cross, Bierbrauer said people can help \u2014 but only if they can pull over safely. She said the key is to move the turtle in the same direction it was headed, even if that is not the nearest side of the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou pick it up and then put it on the side it\u2019s heading,\u201d Bierbrauer said. \u201cSo, you\u2019re just helping it across the road to get to where it\u2019s nesting site, or back to the pond that it came from.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also urged drivers to stay alert, especially on rural roads, while making sure they do not cause a crash while trying to avoid an animal.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially the rural areas, and you\u2019ll see turtles crossing the road \u2014 making sure you\u2019re not running them over, but also making sure you\u2019re not also creating an accident,\u201d Bierbrauer said.<\/p>\n
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also encourages the public to report turtle sightings to help monitor populations, Bierbrauer said. Heckrodt Wetland Reserve offers educational programming about turtles and other wildlife for all ages.<\/p>\n
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