St. Louis Box Turtle Project

St. Louis Box Turtle Project The St. Louis Box Turtle Project study the ecology, movement and health of native box turtles in Missouri.

Using box turtle as ambassadors, we also provide outreach to inform on the importance of conservation of local species. Louis Box Turtle Project was initiated in the spring of 2012 in response to 1) the growing threats facing box turtles in the Midwest and across the USA, 2) the lack of awareness of these problems, 3) the increasing disconnect between young people and the outdoors, 4) the incredib

le opportunity that exists on our doorsteps to experience nature, including box turtles, and 5) the paucity of scientific information vailable to help inform box turtle conservation. The well-known turtle biologist Archie Carr once noted that “everyone likes box turtles,” but how many St. Louisans know that wild, native box turtles are residents of parks in the heart of the City and surrounding countryside? Or that turtle numbers are probably declining throughout the state of Missouri due to road kills, habitat loss, and possibly disease? The goal of this project is to promote conservation of local urban and rural box turtles by improving our understanding of the ranging patterns, ecology, and health status of these delightful animals, and developing an education and outreach program. We work in Forest Park, one of the nation’s iconic urban parks that lies in the heart of St. Louis, and Tyson Research Center, a protected 2,000 acre natural area 18 miles from Forest Park. Our work at each site involves radio-tracking of box turtles to understand ranging behavior, surveys to estimate the abundance and distribution of turtles, research on turtle health status, and outreach to young people.

Box turtles will be up and moving soon. Please be kind to them. Leave them wild
03/24/2026

Box turtles will be up and moving soon. Please be kind to them. Leave them wild

03/12/2026
Th warm weather means the box turtles will soon be up and moving. Our spring interns Jazzmine and Emma will be out in th...
03/09/2026

Th warm weather means the box turtles will soon be up and moving. Our spring interns Jazzmine and Emma will be out in the park a lot for the next few weeks checking the brumating turtles.

Check out our new page and follow!
12/08/2025

Check out our new page and follow!

Well, we’ve just found everyone’s holiday gift this year! The story. the illustrations.🥲 perfection. , Georgette’s book ...
11/08/2025

Well, we’ve just found everyone’s holiday gift this year! The story. the illustrations.🥲 perfection. , Georgette’s book is next!

Welcome to our newest member of the Forest Park Living Lab team! Dr Kaitlin Moorhead is a veterinarian and recently just...
09/16/2025

Welcome to our newest member of the Forest Park Living Lab team! Dr Kaitlin Moorhead is a veterinarian and recently just finished her PhD with the wildlife Epidemiology Lab at the University of Illinois. Her research focused on Blandings turtle health in IL. We’re excited to have her studying urban wildlife health across the big muddy! Check out our work at forestparklivinglab.org

Just like us, turtles have their own little personalities that are very distinctive to who they are!
08/06/2025

Just like us, turtles have their own little personalities that are very distinctive to who they are!

We had such a wonderful time last week at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital representing the Forest Park Living Lab! ❤️🐢...
07/31/2025

We had such a wonderful time last week at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital representing the Forest Park Living Lab! ❤️🐢

It's TRIVIA TUESDAY! Let's test your turtle knowledge!
07/22/2025

It's TRIVIA TUESDAY!
Let's test your turtle knowledge!

07/16/2025

Meet our 2025 summer interns, Dani Walters and Isabel Lee!

07/16/2025

Meet our 2025 summer interns, Dani Walters and Isabel Lee!

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One Government Drive
St. Louis, MO
63110

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