Amy St Lawrence holding a six-year-old Eastern long-necked turtle. (Photo: Will Goodwin)
Story by Julie Nance
Glenbrook Lagoon is like a retirement village for turtles, where the majority of the freshwater reptiles are senior citizens. With 95 out of 100 eggs eaten by foxes, the odds are against baby turtles entering the world. However, things are now looking up for the lagoon’s turtle population. The floating eco habitat Turtle Island is proving to be a safe haven, and a community-led nest protection strategy is also making a big difference.
Key Points:
Freshwater turtles lay 8 to 24 eggs at once, an attractive meal for foxes if nests are not protected.
Every individual, not just the experts, can help protect turtle nests with short online training.
Even a small act like moving a turtle off the road can help boost dwindling turtle populations.
On a rainy afternoon in late October Amy St Lawrence was at Glenbrook Lagoon, finishing up a full day of collecting water samples at sites across the Blue Mountains.
The Blue Mountains City Council Aquatic Systems Officer spotted two Eastern long-necked turtles digging nests nearby on the sandy lagoon bank. It was a rare sight, particularly as it was a little early for the November to January nesting season. “I was so excited; I’d never seen that before,” Amy says.
A rare find: one of three Eastern long-necked turtles spotted nesting at Glenbrook Lagoon in late 2023. (Photo: Amy St Lawrence)
Amy sent colleague Will Goodwin a photo of the turtles as he was preparing for a large school excursion the next day.
He recalls: “It was an amazing feeling getting that photo because we care so much about these animals and getting to see this valuable thing happening was such a privilege.
“It started this massive race against the clock, a panic to protect the nests before sunset.”
The two nesting Eastern long-necked turtles with a curious swamp hen. (Video: Amy St Lawrence / Julie Nance)
Amy watched one of the turtles move into the bush after being disturbed by nearby swamp hens. She reluctantly left the remaining turtle as she had to rush the time-sensitive water samples to a lab in Smithfield.
In the meantime, Will was busy getting supplies to protect the nests, drawing on training from the 1 Million Turtles Conservation Program website. He also made signs alerting the public to be careful.
When Amy got back to the site with her own supplies, a mother and young daughter, and a father and son, were keeping watch. They had witnessed the laying of seven eggs into the nest, which the turtle was now covering with dirt before returning to the lagoon.
Amy and Will set to work pinning mesh over the nests and putting up signs.
Amy laying protective mesh over a nest, using the method outlined on the 1 Million Turtles website. (Photo: Will Godwin)
Will also protecting a turtle nest. (Photo: Amy St Lawrence)
The father who had helped keep vigil told Amy and Will he had seen another nest close to his home on the other side of the lagoon. They went and protected that nest and left the family with materials and instructions on how to protect further nests.
Since that exciting day Amy has seen another turtle nesting at a different part of the lagoon while she was water sampling.
“I’d never seen it before and I ended up seeing three turtles nesting within a few weeks,” she says. “The father we helped was really interested in finding more nests and protecting them. It has been amazing seeing the response from the community.”
Freshwater turtles nationally are under threat and in decline due to fox predation, widespread drought, habitat loss and vehicle strike.
To help address their plight, a floating eco habitat, Turtle Island, was built in early 2020 at Glenbrook Lagoon, a few metres from the sandy bank where the two turtles were spotted nesting. A collaboration between the Glenbrook Lagoon Bushcare group, Blue Mountains City Council and Western Sydney University (WSU), the nesting place is proving to be successful for the small residents.
During the breeding season over the 2022/23 summer, two entire clutches (batches of eggs) successfully hatched on the island.
Will says a gamechanger for the survival of the turtles is the actions of community members. Glenbrook Lagoon Bushcare volunteers built the island and organised the plantings. Other locals and interested volunteers have joined as Citizen Scientists.
WSU Associate Professor Ricky Spencer, who was the innovator behind the island, pioneered the Citizen Science program 1 Million Turtles. To become a Citizen Scientist, you need to complete short online training to understand how to protect the nests correctly in an ethically responsible way while minimising any potential risk to yourself or any species.
Dr Spencer’s community-led turtle conservation work won him an Australian Eureka award last year for Innovation in Citizen Science. By downloading his TurtleSAT, the first fully integrated citizen science app focusing on monitoring turtles, you can enter nest protection and other data.
Turtle Island with nesting boxes and vegetation native to the lagoon. It has been placed far enough away from shore to deter foxes from swimming to it and eating the turtle eggs and occasional waterfowl hatchlings. Many species of birds are found on and around the island. (Video: Julie Nance)
Will says: “I view what is happening at Glenbrook Lagoon as a massive success story in the sense that things are looking up for the turtles. It is something where everyone can get involved and Turtle Island is one element of that.
“Turtles have had a rough trot but we’re now at the stage where things are starting to actually work. We’ve got nest protection that works, an island that works and we’ve got people who care.” – Will Godwin
Turtles play an important role in maintaining water quality by consuming dead and rotting carcasses from the water, reducing the risk of algal blooms.
Freshwater turtles can live for more than 100 years. Will says turtle surveys at Glenbrook Lagoon indicate most of the turtle inhabitants are old. However, it was a promising sign when Dr Spencer and students caught and then released a six-year-old Eastern long-necked turtle in Autumn 2022.
Turtles are cold blooded animals, so they need to be able to get their body temperature up to go about their business including feeding and breeding. A turtle basking platform has also been erected near Turtle Island, designed to help adult turtles vulnerable to predators including dogs.
“Their shell is made out of keratin which is the exact same stuff that goat horns, and other treats we give our dogs, are made out of,” Will says. “Unfortunately, if dogs are off leash and they’re not controlled, the turtles end up being a chew toy. The basking platform helps the turtles but also allows anyone to get up close and study them, entering important information into the TurtleSAT app.”
Will says having individuals out there looking for turtles, recording their observations, and protecting the nests is what will make the biggest impact.
“Hopefully we will have cute little baby turtles taking their first swim at Glenbrook Lagoon within a few months. It’s an exciting time.”
An eight-week-old Eastern long-necked turtle. Will says: “This is the goal; we’re all working towards seeing more little guys like this cruising around.” (Photo: Will Goodwin)
Look out for turtles and their nests. Log information, including any turtle injuries, into TurtleSAT.
Blue Mountains residents who have done the 1 Million Turtles training can be supported with free materials. Email Will at wgoodwin@bmcc.nsw.gov.au with proof of completion of the training.
If you see a turtle crossing the road and it is safe to do so, carefully pick it up and immediately put it down on the other side of the road in the direction it was heading. That one little act could mean decades more years of breeding for that turtle.
Learn about the amazing work of Valley Heights resident Shane Davies: The Turtle Saviour.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
There are so many extraordinary volunteers keeping us and wildlife safe all year round! Come along and meet them at the Expo and Family Day at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 22nd Nov. Learn what you can do to be ready for emergencies, and how you can volunteer or help in some other way. Together we can be more prepared and reduce the risk of disaster. There`ll be a free sausage sizzle so help give us an idea of numbers by registering here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Thank you Blue Mountains community for the generous donation of 11 sewing machines which we`ll be using for our free sewing workshop with Boomerang Bags at the Expo and Family Day on Sat 22 November at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba. It`s an opportunity for the whole family to make free Christmas presents that `don`t cost the earth`! Register here if you`d like to attend (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J (and you`ll get a free fire retardant plant from Santa while you`re there!)
Did you know that Australia has the world`s highest incidence of asbestos-related diseases per capita in the world, killing more than 4,000 Australians every year - three times more than the annual road toll; and that asbestos-related deaths are predicted to rise! Asbestos isn’t just in fibro homes and sheds - it was used in the manufacture of more than 3000 asbestos containing products with many of these products remaining in any brick, fibro, weatherboard, clad home or apartment built or renovated before 1990. Asbestos was used everywhere in homes - lurking under floor coverings including carpets, linoleum and vinyl tiles, behind wall and floor tiles, in cement floors, internal and external walls, ceilings and ceiling space (insulation), eaves, garages, roofs, around hot water pipes, fences, home extensions, garages, outdoor toilets, backyard and farm structures, chook sheds and even in dog kennels. Exposure to asbestos fibres during home renovations has been linked to 51% of mesothelioma deaths. There is no cure for mesothelioma. The average survival time following diagnosis is just 10-12 months. Homeowners, renovators and tradies are most at risk of exposure if they disturb asbestos containing materials. On Saturday 22 November, “Betty – The Asbestos Education House” will be a prominent feature of the Blue Mountains City Council’s Disaster Risk Awareness Expo to help educate local homeowners and tradies about the dangers of asbestos that remains lurking in 1-in-3 Aussie homes including many throughout the Blue Mountains region as part of National Asbestos Awareness Month (November). There will also be workshops and stalls on asbestos and a range of other hazardous materials and how you can manage them to protect youreself, your family and your community. Find out more and register here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Emily from @handsheartfeet will be leading a free drumming workshop at the Planetary Health Centre Expo and Family Day in Katoomba on Sat 22 Nov. It`s suitable for all ages and so much fun! Places are limited so reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J (link in profile)
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out! Read it here: https://bit.ly/4o1FflK (link in profile)
It includes: • Expo and Family Day on Nov 22 • A Story of Purpose & Mental Health with Rotarian Peter Joseph AM from the Black Dog Institute on Nov 29 • How to Use a Sewing Machine Workshop on Nov 29 • Qigong, Upper Mountains Seed Saving & Gardening Group and Planetary Health Bushcare on Dec 6 • Legalising human composting as a sustainable death care option in NSW • The Climate Risk and Adaptation Plan for the Blue Mountains
We are so excited to be launching revolutionary new fire protection coatings that can stop your home burning down and slow the spread of fire. Learn more and pick up a sample pot at the Planetary Health Expo on Sat 22 Nov at 10am. FIRECOAT interior and exterior undercoat has been developed by scientists at UNSW and is already available for this fire season but new products will also be shared at the Expo, including a flexible fire-protective covering designed for temporary use on windows, doors, poles, fences, vehicles, equipment and other small assets. There is even a product that can create a fire-protective barrier around your home and these assets. FIRECOAT is waterproof, non toxic and game changing. Register here to attend the launch (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J and PLEASE SHARE. This breakthrough technology can help make our communities safer.
We’re thrilled that engineer Mark Liebman, who built a green roof in Blackheath, will be giving a free talk at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Sat 22 November. Green roofs cool buildings, reduce stormwater runoff and increase biodiversity. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions and get tips on how to do it yourself. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Are there native bees and insects in your garden? Today is the first day of Australian Pollinator Week and native bee ecologist and musician @amelie_ecology has just released a new single with Costa Georgiadis @costasworld called ‘Not all Pests’. We’re thrilled that Amelie will be performing her songs and running a free interactive workshop on what we can do to support our native pollinators at the Planetary Health Expo and Family Day on Saturday 22nd November. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
and you can stream ’Not all Pests’ here (link in profile): https://amelieecology.bandcamp.com/track/not-all-pests
There are so many ways to have a greener healthier Christmas! Ever thought of giving a voucher for Tai Chi and Qigong classes? You can try out one of our Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday at 9am. Tutor Virginia Field is currently introducing Qigong`s 5-Animals Play, an ancient practice which developed from observing animals and mimicking their behaviour. Reserve a spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3JlOAXh Find other ideas for a greener Christmas on Council`s website here: www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/greenchristmas
Or come along to our Expo and Family Day on 22 November and try out some other great options like drumming classes, sewing and fashion upcycling! Register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025
We’ve had some great news! Santa is coming to the free Community BBQ at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Saturday 22 November. He’s arriving early to help us celebrate Christmas in a way that’s safer and healthier for us and the planet, and he’s let us know that he’ll be giving everyone who comes a free fire-retardant plant for their garden. We’re so thrilled we’re putting on fun family events for the day: from a fabulous free drumming workshop with Emily from Hands, Heart and Feet, to live music and a pollinator hunt with Amelie Ecology, and workshops to create plastic-free Christmas presents. There’ll also be an opportunity to meet the RFS, NSW Fire & Rescue, Red Cross and other emergency services. Come and learn ways to keep the family safe while also having fun, enjoying a coffee, sampling some plant-based sweets and a free BBQ lunch, and taking home lots of useful information about hazardous materials and preparing for extreme weather events! Register here to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025?
Do you feel overwhelmed about preparing your home for bushfire? Come along to the free Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit Workshop at the Disaster Risk Awareness Expo (and pre-Christmas Family Day) at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 22 Nov. Meet the team who developed the Toolkit and learn to use it in a free, 2-hour interactive workshop. You will have the opportunity to work on case study properties in small groups and ask the team questions about your own property. Free afternoon tea provided. Bookings essential here (Disaster Risk Awareness Expo link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025/tickets #beprepared #bushfire #retrofit #disasterriskawareness #planetaryhealth #katoomba #bluemountains #bushfireretrofittoolkit...
When we pulled up some old lino we were shocked to learn at the Katoomba Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facility that it was made of asbestos. There are so many parts of old homes in the Blue Mountains that contain asbestos, so, to help keep everyone safe, we`ve invited Betty the Asbestos Education House to the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday 22nd November as part of our Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and pre-Christmas Family Day. Betty is a purpose built, mobile model home designed to demonstrate where asbestos might be found in and around any Australian home built or renovated before 1990. Her exterior resembles a typical fibro home but when opened up, she has extensive audio and visual information including a bathroom, kitchen, living room, man shed/garage and a dog house. You can learn more and register to attend this free event here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
Julie Nance is a community storyteller with the Blue Mountains Planetary Health Initiative. In her coverage of the Lower Mountains area, she brings 30 years’ experience in communications, publishing and journalism.
After specialising in health and social issues as a journalist, Julie led creative teams in the government and not-for-profit sectors including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, YMCA NSW, Cancer Council NSW and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Julie is passionate about empowering people with quality information to help them make informed choices.
The South Eastern Glossy Black Cockatoo is one of Australia's rarest native birds, with a population of just 8,000. Happily the staff and students at Glenbrook Public School were not willing to give up on the flocks who make their home in the Blue Mountains region, with the Glossy Black Cockatoo as the theme for their recent National Science Week program.
