Become a turtle guardian

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Just because Tillsonburg couldn’t run the popular Turtlefest again this year due to COVID, does not mean the plight of our turtles can be forgotten.

We have eight kinds of turtles in Ontario. All are in trouble and desperately need your help. They are long-lived animals and depending on each type, it can take 8-20 years before they can reproduce and 30-60 years to replace themselves with one successful offspring. That is .06% success rate and we humans are the basic cause of that percentage. We have already lost 50-70% of our turtles!

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Become a turtle guardian Back to video

You can help by becoming a Turtle Guardian! This is group that teaches, tracks, monitors and protects turtles, so you really will be helping! Check out their great website at www.turtleguardians.ca.

There are five levels you can achieve as a Turtle Guardian but you can proceed at your own pace to whatever level you want. Great for family as the kids can do the first few and adults the higher levels, but first you need to be able to identify the eight turtles which is pretty easy. That gets you to Level 1 where you learn where turtles lay their eggs, what a nest looks like, how to report turtle sightings and how you can increase awareness and help save turtles!

Level 2 is Wetland Watcher or Nest Sitter. Here you learn how to monitor wetlands, lake habitats and nesting sites.

Level 3 is Road Researcher or Tunnel Assessor. Guardians will learn about tunnel designs allowing turtles safe passage across roads. Guardians doing this level, or your legal custodian if under 18, must sign a liability waiver.

At Level 4 Guardians will become involved with conservation projects, use data to create ESRI maps, analyze trends, complete community volunteer training for a community conservation project, or they will design their own fundraising or conservation campaign.

Develop research permits to reach Level 5. Turtle Guardians will complete advanced fieldwork training, such as the START project Turtle Boot Camp, and be taught how to collect biological samples and data from turtles.

All Guardians can also learn more about turtles and First Nations traditional teachings through the Turtle Guardian Ontario school curriculum and by attending camps, events, or workshops.

As you can see this is a wonderful project for various ages, abilities, and groups in your communities.

Leora Berman of Turtle Guardians believes in the power of people: if there are skilled and trained Turtle Guardians in our communities, turtles will have a chance to survive, and their populations may even thrive! They can help you even if you don’t have a computer. If you are interested call 705-457-1222.

If you physically cannot help, you know they would appreciate a donation or pillowcases and Tupperware! Pillowcases are strong enough to contain a wet turtle who needs to be weighed in the field and they use a lot of plastic containers to transport injured turtles to turtle trauma hospitals.

Turtle Guardians have partners in London and are working to create a Turtle Guardian working group in Norfolk County. Their programs are offered across Ontario.

There is so much to learn about turtles, like how turtles are necessary to our wetlands and that hatchlings need to remain in nature to survive, not be taken home.  Start learning now. Check out the website and don’t be afraid to ask questions and get your information kit now!