The Baltimore Zoo teams up with local schools to promote bog turtle conservation. (News from Zoos).

Through collaborations with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment, the Baltimore Zoo bog turtle exhibit, a restored wetland habitat, is providing valuable education and conservation opportunities for both the endangered bog turtle and the human inhabitants of its native state. Through various partnerships, The Baltimore Zoo has been able to use data collected by Towson University students to track the turtles' movements and body temperatures. Due to an increase in rainfall this spring, the Zoo has been able to return some bog turtles to their homes. These turtles were removed from the bogs during drought conditions in order to ensure their safety. Local middle-school student Jessica Huber lent a helping hand in the restoration project and was recognized as one of 50 national essay winners in the Mutual of Omaha 'Wild Kingdom Kids' Summit on Conservation. Huber's essay, which focuses on the bog turtle conservation efforts, encouraged the Zoo to seek her input in the creation of new conservation education materials to be used at the Zoo. The Baltimore Zoo Herpetology Department has received an award from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their contribution to the conservation and recovery efforts for this threatened species. [Source: Communique]