You may not know that you’re coming up on turtle breeding season, but mid-June is peak time for laying eggs if you’re one of Ontario’s many turtle species.
Conservation is something that we can all get behind, and the Pinery Provincial Park is trying to get the word out about the conservation of local turtles through several programs – including one reminding people about turtle crossings.
The destruction of their nesting habitats through erosion and construction have caused local turtle species to seek riskier and riskier locations for their nests.
Supervisor of Discovery and Resource Management at Pinery Provincial Park Alistair MacKensie, says that turtles provide a vital service to the ecosystem,
As an individual, MacKensie says that you can do your part to help protect the turtles,
Alongside protecting them on road crossings, another initiative that the park is working on, is protecting turtle nests from predators like racoons.
A snapping turtle crossing the road outside of Dashwood
The most common types of turtle species you’ll see in our area include the Midland Painted Turtle, which is identified by a beautiful red and orange marking on the perimeter of shell, and the Snapping Turtle, a species that can live a lifespan comparable to a human. Some less common turtles in our area also include Map Turtles and Spiny Softshell Turtles.
Turtles are slow to reproduce, and live for a long time. Many will likely not lay eggs and breed until they’re 10-20 years old and will live for decades after. Throughout their lifecycle, most of the eggs that they lay will be lost to predators, or erosion of shore banks and other natural habitat disturbances.
Educating yourself is the most important thing that anyone can do, says MacKenzie,
You can also report turtle sightings through an app called iNaturalist, which also has a camera you can use to identify species. The app is used by a variety of novices and experts, and is helpful for monitoring biodiversity across the province.
For more information about turtles, you can always visit the Pinery Visitor’s Centre, or go to ontarioparks.com/park/pinery
Written by: B. Shakyaver
