Minnesota summers means turtles are on the move, and a new app helps them cross roads safely. 

"I moved into a house at the intersection of two ponds and I noticed turtles crossing frequently and also frequently getting hit by cars," said Kelly Olson.

The reptile loves connected wetlands and moving in between them. Road mortality is one of the biggest threats for turtles in Minnesota, according to Tricia Markle, a wildlife conservation specialist with the Minnesota Zoo.

The problem is that roads often split bodies of water.

"They do sense danger, they'll often kind of tuck back into their shell, they'll kind of react to traffic, they'll react to noise and vibration," Markle said.

But if food, a potential mate or a nesting site is on the other side of that road — turtles will take the risk.

"Turtles will just kind of go for it because they kind of rely on their shell to protect them. But unfortunately with a vehicle, that's not going to do the job," she said.

A study of 30 sites around the metro found that 700 turtles died while crossing roads in one year. 

"If we scale that up across the state in our 'Land of 10,000 Lakes,' we're probably looking at thousands, if not tens of thousands of turtles that are hit and killed on our roads every single year," she said. 

Olson had seen enough outside her home, so she teamed up with her sister on a solution: an app called TurtlTracker.

"With TurtlTracker we're offering a free, low-barrier solution, asking for a really simple action: See a turtle, track a turtle," Olson said. 

WCCO was able to test out TurtlTracker. To track a turtle, you first take pictures of the animal through the app. It then lets users know which species they found and educates them about it.

After giving the turtle a name, users can decide whether to give the animal some assistance the cross the road. The app advises users through several options, including simply keeping an eye on the animal from a distance. It also teaches users how to safely pick up turtles to move them.

Those who decide to pick up a turtle must carry it in the direction it was already headed, that way it doesn't turn around and go back over the road without some help.

Moving the animal to safety can be a fun and quick fix. But the longterm solution to reducing road mortality is in the data collection on the app. By identifying new turtle hotspots and crossings, conservation groups can learn where to put fences to block roads and build turtle tunnels underneath for safe passage.

"It makes me feel really hopeful and excited that the community now has a way to get involved and contribute data than can make meaningful change," Olson said.

The app also rewards users badges based on their engagement. There are leaderboards showing who's been tracking turtles the most. It's an educational app, but also a social one.

It should be available for download later this summer wherever you get your apps.

The creators behind TurtlTracker are hosting a for the app on Sunday, July 13, at 56 Brewing in northeast Minneapolis, which includes a special release beer. 

• Minnesota