What can you do to help Ontario turtles?

COURTNEY McCLURE The Standard

In Ontario, female turtles nest during the spring, usually in late May or early July. Eggs typically hatch in late August or early October. There are different types of turtles living within Ontario, such as the Blanding’s Turtle and the Snapping Turtle.

Communications Branch member, from the Ministry of Enviroment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), Gary Wheeler, said, one is most likely to find Midland Painted Turtles and Snapping Turtles in North Durham.

The Snapping Turtle is listed as a “species of special concern,” while the Midland Painted Turtle is not considered at-risk, by the Ontario Endangered Species Act.

Turtle nest locations depend on the species of turtle and the local availability of nesting habitat. For example, Snapping Turtles may nest adjacent to shorelines of lakes or wetlands.

“The recovery of Ontario’s [turtle] species at-risk is a shared responsibility. Most people do not realize how imperilled our turtles are, or the significance of the threats they face,” stated Mr. Wheeler.

Consequently, you can educate yourself about the various threats affecting turtles and share this knowledge with others.

If you or someone you know has found a turtle nest on your property, there are a few things you can do to ensure their safety.

Firstly, Mr. Wheeler, advises residents to leave the nest undisturbed. If the nest is in immediate danger which cannot be avoided, such as flooding, you can contact a qualified professional to help. However, residents should never attempt move a turtle nest by themselves; tampering with the nest may harm the eggs, such as crushing it or compacting it, so this should always be avoided.

Other ways nests can be damaged include driving over the nest with a vehicle. You can help avoid this by watching for turtles on the road while you drive and contacting the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, to share the location of your siting. In addition, nest protectors can be built.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation has developed an “excellent” fact sheet, providing instructions on how to build and install turtle nest protectors. You can find this information at cwf-fcf.org.

A turtle inclusive habitat can be created on your property and may include creating a pond, maintaining a wetland, or providing sand for nesting.

You can contribute to turtle conservation or citizen science projects, such as Toronto Zoo’s adopt-a-pond-program or the Canadian Wildlife Federation turtle conservation program.

The Ontario government contributes to “on-the-ground” protection and recovery efforts for at-risk species, including turtles.

If you see any turtle building a nest, please contact the Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC). The NHIC is Ontario’s conservation data centre.

To learn more about turtles living within Ontario, and your area, you can call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, 1-705-741-5000.

Actions which affect the safety of Ontario wildlife, such as the illegal collection of wild turtles, can be reported to MECP enforcement. To do this, please call, 1-866-MOE-TIPS or 1-866-663-8477.