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They may be small now, but with help from two-legged friends at John Ball Zoo and �鶹��, baby spotted turtles are growing stronger for life in the wild.

The two institutions have partnered to help conserve local spotted turtle populations by “head starting” them, meaning baby turtles are raised under human care and released into the wild once they are less vulnerable to predation.

A trusted partnership

The partnership is the latest addition to John Ball Zoo’s , which that are found in North America. The Zoo has seen amazing success with a similar project to protect , raising and releasing hundreds of the species in the last five years. After they are released, staff monitors the turtles and their non-head-started peers in the wild to gather information crucial to their conservation.

“We are excited to be partnering with �鶹�� on this project to further assess head starting as a conservation tool and help these tiny turtles survive in the wild,” said Bill Flanagan, conservation manager at John Ball Zoo. “This partnership will help inspire the next generation of conservationists and contribute to the preservation of wildlife and wild places right in our community.”

A rare opportunity

Typically, baby turtles involved in the head starting process are raised at John Ball Zoo. For this project, the baby spotted turtles will be cared for at �鶹�� by students studying wildlife biology and animal husbandry.

“The partnership with the Zoo on the spotted turtle head-starting project is an incredible opportunity for pre-veterinary students like me,” said Jocelyn Nieze ’26, a senior at Calvin. “I’m especially excited for the hands-on experience with this fascinating species — it directly connects to my passion for wildlife veterinary medicine and caring for native Michigan species.”  

Led by Will Miller, associate professor of biology at Calvin and certified wildlife biologist, the students will care for and feed the turtles, monitor their growth, and place trackers on them before they are released into the wild. Zoo conservation leaders will engage with students in the classroom weekly to discuss the turtles’ progress.

“This project brings conservation to life for our students. At Calvin, we believe education is best when it’s hands-on and rooted in real places, and there’s no better example than helping protect one of Michigan’s rarest turtles,” said Miller. “For students in conservation biology and pre-veterinary studies, this isn’t just a classroom lesson — it’s direct experience in caring for a species that needs us. Our growing partnership with John Ball Zoo reflects both our commitment to preparing students for meaningful work and our dedication to serving our community through stewardship of God’s creation.”

A journey of discovery

Spotted turtles are endangered and listed as a threatened species in Michigan due to habitat loss, predation and illegal collection for the pet trade. The Zoo has worked with this species since 2022 when it partnered with the Michigan Natural Features Inventory to survey areas for wild populations. Because spotted turtles are secretive creatures and become inactive during very warm weather, burrowing under leaves, moss or mud, there’s still a lot to learn about their distribution, population size and nesting habits.

Turtle eggs and hatchlings are especially vulnerable to predation given their size, being a favorite food source for raccoons. Spotted turtles weigh between 3-5 grams when they hatch, less than a nickel. John Ball Zoo worked with a specialist who made tiny transmitters used to track the hatchlings, and the Zoo team modeled the proper size and weight of the transmitters using plastic turtles and small pebbles.

All of the work by John Ball Zoo and �鶹�� to support spotted turtles will help contribute to conservation knowledge about this species and maintain healthy waterways in Michigan.

“Turtles are incredible indicators of the health of an ecosystem overall, so the knowledge gained through this project will be crucial to their survival, as well as the survival of other species that share their habitats,” Flanagan said. “My hope is that together with Calvin students, we can create a successful model for expanding our work with turtles and other vulnerable species even further.”