It’s hard to imagine that nestled in the mud at the bottom of Gungahlin Valley Ponds lie sleeping relatives of crocodiles and dinosaurs. After their long winter sleep, the spring rains cue the eastern long-necked turtles to surface and begin looking for food and mates. Perfect timing to see a turtle!

Join the Gungahlin SEE Change group and ecologist Bruno Ferronato from Ginninderra Catchment Group WaterWatch to welcome the eastern long-necked turtles out of their winter hibernation and learn about their unusual lifestyle.

We’ll discover the incredible biological tricks the turtles have evolved over millennia to survive in the most extreme conditions. We’ll also learn the part they play in keeping our waterways healthy and what we can do as citizen scientists to ensure that the eastern long-necked turtle continues to thrive in our shared environment.

Bring: comfortable walking shoes (or gumboots), hat, sunscreen and a water bottle.

Please do not attend if you are unwell or have been a recent close contact of someone with COVID-19.

Image credit: Eastern long-necked turtle curtesy Gunther Schmida, Australian Museum. More information on the turtle from the museum here.

Contact the host of SEE Change Gungahlin eastern long-necked turtle talk