The western pond turtle is found along the West Coast ranging from Baja Mexico to Canada. These turtles are found at the Blue Oak Ranch Preserve located north of Springville, California and managed by the Sequoia Riverlands Trust.

The goal of this project is to learn more about where the western pond turtles lay their eggs and what percentage go on to become hatchlings and eventually adult turtles.

Youth from the town of Poplar, accompanied by staff from the Sequoia Riverlands Trust, prepare to hike to a suitable location to install a solar powered cellular gateway.
It was a hot day…
Having found a suitable location, youth assemble the poles.
A solar panel is attached.
The lake in the background is where the turtles live.
Now the gateway is bolted onto the poles.
Almost ready…
The gateway is up and running! We will leave it running for a couple of weeks to test the reliability of the cellular data connection.

After working outside in the hot sun July sun there must be a place nearby to cool down…

Janet says she knows a place.
Cold, clear water
Got to love California summers when water is close by.