Conservation and Education Centre (FTCEC)

In order to support the in-situ conservation, we establishing a facility that will be functioned as education and conservation centre. We call this facility as Freshwater Turtles Conservationa and Education Centre (FTCEC). Although this facility will be used particularly to support the Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) conservation recently, as stated in our vision, this facility expected could play a role to support the other freshwater turtles and tortoises here.

Recently, by the help of Seed Grant from Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) 2011, we have succeed to established a small headstarting facility for Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis). Recently, this facility has three ponds. First pond is for hatchery. Second pond is for hatchlings. Third pond is for juvenile and adults. The second and third pond has slope and beach area to basking.  All of the hatchlings produced in the facility, after kept enough, will be released in their natural habitat in mangrove forest in Aceh Tamiang. For recent period, the facility is very basic. Nevertheless we believe this facility will improve and become a leading facility to conserve the freshwater turtles and tortoises here.

The FTCEC is will playing roles as: 1) Ex-situ conservation facility to support in-situ conservation; 2) medium to educate and train local people about the Painted Terrapin and Freshewater Turtles; 3) research and study of Painted Terrapin in captivity.

All of the pictures are the ponds that has been just completed (photographed on August 2011). Many of improvements will carry out, such as installment of artificial plants for the ponds, water and waste management, gardening, information board, clinics, expand the ponds for adult, etc. We will keep and manage the freshwater turtles based on best practices!

If you want to further information about the vision of FTCEC (included design and layout of all of facilities we planed) and join our effort, please contact us at: satucita_institute@yahoo.co.id