Part 1: The Pond Turtles of Golden Gardens
A documentary by Robin FitzClemen
Click to watch!
Northwestern pond turtles are one of two native turtle species in Oregon and can be found basking on logs or swimming in creeks, rivers, ponds, or wetlands. These reptiles are becoming harder to find, though, as their populations dwindle in the Long Tom Watershed, Willamette Valley, and across Oregon. Northwestern pond turtles have been identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy as a species of concern.
In this first of a two-part “Turtle Tales” series to bring you the story of northwestern pond turtle conservation, we’re excited to debut Robin FitzClemen’s documentary, The Pond Turtles of Golden Gardens. This six-minute short film highlights conservation efforts at this City of Eugene-managed park to lend a helping hand to this rare reptile, and some of the key people involved in these restoration efforts. You’ll hear from City of Eugene ecologist Lauri Holts, ODFW wildlife biologist Chris Yee, and our very own Amanda Reinholtz. You’ll also see plenty of footage of adorable turtle hatchlings! So grab your popcorn and enjoy!
We want to extend a special thanks to Robin FitzClemen for generously allowing us to share this footage with the community. Robin is a lifelong resident of Oregon and a recent graduate from Journalism Master’s program at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication. Robin’s focus is on immersive multimedia science stories. The Pond Turtles of Golden Gardens was Robin’s terminal project in the program. In addition to his interest in filmmaking, Robin has explored non-traditional formats for telling rich science stories. His research into the use of board games as a communication led to the development of a game about the effect of climate change on wildfires, which received grant funding from the Wayne Morse Center for further development. When he isn’t taking photos of turtles, Robin is often working in the Cascades Raptor Center’s wildlife hospital or enjoying the Oregon wilderness. Robin is actively looking for work in communications and you can see more of his work at www.robinfitzclemen.com.
We also want to thank all the participants in the documentary: Lauri Holtz, Amanda Reinhotlz, and Chris Yee.
This learning opportunity is presented in partnership with our friends at WREN (Willamette Resources & Educational Network), and this project was made possible in part with grant funding from the Benton County Soil & Water Conservation District. Thank you to our partners!
Tune in again on October 20 for part two of “Turtle Tales” when we unveil two NEW feature films! Robin FitzClemen’s second film will feature Western Pond Turtle habitats, turtle identification, and Pond Turtle nests. The second video will be a tutorial about how you can help partners in Oregon enhance our collective understanding of the distribution of western pond turtles by recording your observations through citizen science.