Michaela Wiersema

Unconventional Treatment Proves Successful for an Otherwise Permanently Disabled Gopherus polyphemus Who would have thought that a popular treatment for humans would have such a dramatic effect on a tortoise. This Gopherus polyphemus had a fortunate fate. After being hit by a car, her shell was left cracked and back limbs nearly paralyzed. She was discovered after the accident and transported to the South Florida […]

Prosthetic Limbs are Not Just For Humans as This Incredible Story Proves What could have ended in the death of a sea turtle turned into the most exciting rehabilitation story yet. A Caretta caretta was discovered off the Ireland coast after being almost fatally injured by a shark. One of her flippers was completely gone and there was not much hope for this large female;

Volunteers of the Turtle Watch Continue to Contribute Massive Efforts Towards Sea Turtle Conservation With Awe-inspiring Success At barely 6 AM in the morning there is activity on Longboat Key beach. As the sun rises one will observe multiple figures quietly working on something in the sand. A closer look will reveal a newly discovered nest of sea turtle eggs, and a volunteer meticulously covering

Turtle Survival Alliance Highlights Their Spring Break Activities Do you think you had an awesome spring break? Well what could be more exciting than spending break swimming in a pond and grabbing turtles? That’s what a group of volunteers from universities and colleges around the United States did earlier this year. The TSA, partnering with the NAFTRG, hosted the spring turtle sampling in both New

Generous Funding Awarded to Deserving Organizations Dedicated to Conservation Twenty-nine programs were recently awarded grants for conservation, education, and and research, thanks to the Sea Turtle Grants Program. These programs are focused on Florida sea turtles, and funds were raised as part of a campaign using the sale of specialty license plates. Florida residents raised over $360,000 through the purchase of these conservation-themed plates, and

Australian Conservationist Takes His Hobby to Great Lengths Never Imagined Who knew that what started for a Riverland, AU resident as a simple enjoyable hobby would turn into the revival of a species threatened with extinction? After 60 years in the commercial turtle business, John Bannear now operates a turtle sanctuary dedicated to breeding and head-starting Emydura macquarii. He maintains an outstanding yearly release rate

Mass Relocation of Gopherus agassizii to be Carried out by the U.S. Marines Fifteen hundred Gopherus agassizii will find themselves stripped of their home range this week. As a result of a vote from Congress, the Marine Corps have been granted 88,000 acres of land to add to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms. The marines will be partnering with biologists

Incredible Discovery of Critically Endangered Batagur trivittata a Massive Success for Conservation It was just an ordinary yearly Batagur egg search for Steven Platt and his colleagues in Myanmar, but little did they know what they would return with and the success that they would achieve. The prize of the day was 44 eggs from the Batagur trivittata. This species is critically endangered with fewer