Bruce Peninsula National Park looking for Turtle Trackers

Volunteer to help protect turtles in the Northern Bruce Peninsula

April 5, 2018                                  Tobermory, Ontario                   Parks Canada Agency

Bruce Peninsula National Park is looking for volunteers to help protect turtles as part of their On the Road to Recovery project. As a volunteer on the citizen-science team, you will become a Turtle Tracker and help Parks Canada staff monitor nesting turtle populations. The Government of Canada invested over $870,000 in Bruce Peninsula National Park’s On the Road to Recovery project in 2017, which saw the installation of Ecopassages providing safe passage under roadways for small mammal and amphibian species.

In May and June, installing protective cages overtop of turtle nests will be an important duty as a Turtle Tracker. Cages prevent turtle eggs from being dug up and eaten by raccoons and other predators. Then, from late August to September, your Turtle Tracker team will remove the cages and help the baby turtles make it safely to suitable habitat.

Habitat fragmentation and road mortality are causing significant damage to turtle populations, with seven out of eight turtle species at risk in Ontario. Due to natural causes such as predation, only one in every 1,400 snapping turtle eggs survives to adulthood. Additionally, a snapping turtle must be 15 to 20 years old to reproduce, so road mortality of adult turtles has a significant effect on the species as a whole. By volunteering as a Turtle Tracker, you will help increase the odds of turtle survival.

If you are interested in becoming a Turtle Tracker, you can participate every day, once a week, or whatever suits your schedule. No experience is needed. Turtle Tracker actions will occur seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. We recommend volunteers participate in one of the Turtle Tracker training sessions on Friday, April 27 or Friday, May 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Tobermory. Sign up today by emailing laura.sagermann@pc.gc.ca with Turtle Tracker in the subject line.

In managing national parks, Parks Canada maintains or restores ecological integrity, and provides Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy them. Through its Conservation and Restoration Program, Parks Canada takes actions to preserve national parks and contribute to the recovery of species at risk. Canada’s two national parks in the Bruce Peninsula are home to over 30 species at risk, including many of global conservation concern. Ecopassages are an example of the work that Parks Canada, partners and volunteers are doing to ensure the recovery of some of this country’s most endangered and threatened species. This year and beyond, we welcome and encourage all Canadians to get involved by supporting local conservation efforts and being part of nurturing the stewards of tomorrow.