WE’RE ON TURTLE TIME
Hello from Kelly at Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
We hope you are doing well and having a good week. Since our last email update, we have been busily getting ready for turtle season and doing what we can to raise awareness and help some of our turtle friends. Yesterday, we had the pleasure of assisting painted turtle hatchlings that overwintered in getting safely to their intended waterbody, and it was a heartwarming start to the season.
There is nothing quite like the excitement of turtle season, and although it started in April, the cool temperatures throughout this month have made for a slow start, but that changes next week.
According to the projected forecast, as of Sunday, April 28, much of Ontario will move into consistent double-digit daytime temperatures, and at long last, nighttime temperatures will increase. This heralds the proper start of turtle season when turtles are on the move and out and about. Male turtles will be seen on the move looking for mates. In a mere few weeks, from mid-May to mid-July, nesting activity will begin, and egg-laden turtles will be observed near and crossing roads, especially during June, the peak month for nesting activity. Hatchlings that overwintered can be expected to show up any time in April through to early June.
We’re thrilled to have you on this journey with us, our dear friends, colleagues, family, and conservation partners. Your support is not just important; it’s the backbone of our mission to save the turtles and nests. Together, we’re doing good things and helping safeguard the turtle species from extinction.
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Content
The following is turtle-related news, information, and events we want to inform you about. We hope you find this posting set up so you can easily read the subject matter that interests you or the contents.
(1) I HELP Turtles
(2) Helping Belleville’s Turtles
(3) Turtles On The Move Parade
(4) How To Help Turtles In Spring
(5) Working Together To Help Turtles
(6) Upcoming Events
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(1) I HELP Turtles
At the start of the month, we launched a new I HELP Turtles car magnet (an English and a French version) with bumper stickers, t-shirts, and pinback buttons, all with the same message.
The I HELP Turtles design is part of an awareness campaign to celebrate those who help turtles and inspire others to join efforts to protect Ontario’s at-risk species. No one can spread a message that promotes conservation and environmental sustainability as effectively as a team of caring and like-minded people. Proudly displaying the I HELP Turtles message in whatever way a person chooses may prompt consideration, conversation, and action. Together, we can make a difference!
For more information about the I HELP Turtles Items, visit the Think Turtle website: https://thinkturtle.ca/i-help-turtles-items
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(2) Helping Belleville’s Turtles
Think Turtle has been assisting the Belleville community with turtle-related matters since 2020. This was not a partnership we pursued, being home-based in Bancroft and Belleville, being some 112.1 kilometers away. Instead, we felt compelled to help when we learned of the circumstances the turtles face in Belleville.
We organized a Helping Belleville’s Turtles Fundraiser through GoFundMe to have more “Turtle Alert” signs printed for the extensive network of parking lots the turtles venture into each year.
Unlike most busy central business districts, Belleville experiences turtle activity on the main streets, business premises, parking lots, and other areas one would not expect to see turtles. This is because the Moira River runs through the area, and Belleville was built around it when it was initially settled. Development and land conversion have contributed to habitat loss. Turtles have a small home range and an affinity for nesting sites, often their birthplace. As a result, turtles situated in the business district nest wherever they can find a suitable substrate, which is less than ideal and includes parking lots. There are also large expanses of green spaces adjacent to parking lots along the waterfront trail that are suitable for turtle and vehicle encounters.
The Belleville community is known for its care and mindfulness for turtles. Still, adult turtles, juveniles, and hatchlings navigating the bustling parking lots during the busier times of the year, spring to autumn, are at risk of unforeseen mishaps. The Turtle Alert signs are essential visual cues that help prompt locals and visitors to check under their vehicles for turtles before starting their vehicles, watch for hatchlings, and stay alert when driving in parking lots during the turtle season, April to October.
Thanks to some very kind and generous citizens, we raised the funds needed for this initiative. The signs are presently in production and will soon be installed.
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(3) Turtles On The Move Parade
Our friends and colleagues, the Turtle Protectors, are hosting the 1st Annual’ Turtles On The Move Parade’ in Toronto on Saturday, May 4, 2024, from 2 to 4 pm to 4 pm. The parade is not just an event; it’s a celebration of our shared commitment to turtle conservation and an opportunity to help raise awareness.
We’re thrilled to invite you to the 1st Annual Turtles On The Move Parade, hosted by our friends, the Turtle Protectors. Your participation is not just a show of support; it’s a unique opportunity to make a significant difference in turtle conservation. We hope to see you there
To read more about the parade, visit the Turtle Protectors website:
https://turtleprotectors.com/turtles-on-the-move-parade/
Thank you to the Turtle Protectors, a dedicated group of individuals who have worked tirelessly to protect turtles and their habitats. Their efforts have been instrumental in organizing what is sure to be a memorable day for raising awareness, helping the turtles, and connecting with like-minded friends.
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(4) How To Help Turtles In Spring
Thank you to Apsley Backroads for the opportunity to share the attached article in the April edition. We hope you get a chance to read it.
Magazine Article (Print): Wallace, K. (2024, April). How to Help Turtles in Spring.
Apsley Backroads, p. 8.
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(5) Working Together To Help Turtles
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT REQUEST.
To our friends, colleagues, family and regional partners we deeply appreciate your past and ongoing contributions to turtle and nest conservation. Your role in this effort is not just invaluable; it’s the reason we can continue our work. We sincerely thank you for your dedication and support.
Think Turtle is always here to offer guidance to anyone regarding turtle and nest matters. When you have a question about a turtle or nest, we’re just a phone call or text away at 647-606-9537. Your inquiries are important to us, and we’re committed to providing prompt and helpful responses.
However, we must ask that you “PLEASE” phone or text us and “DO NOT” send Facebook or email messages to Think Turtle about turtles or nests during turtle season, April – October.
Turtle and nest inquiries are often time-sensitive and require immediate attention.
Our Facebook pages and email are not routinely monitored. Think Turtle is a volunteer grassroots group, and we do not have the finances for internet access when outdoors or the personnel to have someone in the office regularly. The phone is with us constantly, and we quickly respond to phone messages and texts.
Between May and October, we work long hours outdoors and are never sure when we will be in the office. If someone sends a message about a turtle or nest via Facebook or email, or tags us on Facebook we may not see it until late in the evening or the following day. This delay could be critical for the survival of a turtle or nest. Your prompt action is crucial.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions. Please add Think Turtle Conservation Initiative to your phone address book at 647-606-9537 so our number is on hand should you have a question about a turtle or nest conservation matter. This will ensure that you reach us quickly when needed.
If you have questions that are not time sensitive, by all means email them or send them via Facebook. We will get back to you when we can.
Thank you for understanding the importance of our request.
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(6) Upcoming Events
COWABUNGA BIG GARAGE SALE
Date: Saturday, May 11, 2024
Time: 8 am8 am – 2 pm2 pm
Address: 29 Bay Lake Road, L’amable
Rain Date: Sunday May 12, 2024
About The Sale
It will be a fun time for those who love to scrounge! Tools, computers, computer parts, electrical parts, automotive items, household stuff, boxes, and more will be available.
Plus, there will be a selection of over 300 DVDs at this garage sale to rummage through. New titles have been added since our last sale. The DVDs are $2 each or 3 for $5. All the money from DVD sales will go towards helping the turtles.
BANCROFT FARMERS’ MARKET
Date: Saturday, May 18, 2024
Location: Riverside Park (behind the post office)
Address: 26 Station Street, Bancroft
Time: 9:00 am9:00 am to 1:00 pm1:00 pm
Note: The market is weekly until October. We plan to be set up every week except June. It is the busiest month for nesting activity, and we will watch over the turtles.
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Think Turtle Merchandise
We will be set up at the market with a selection of items that would be great for gift-giving, with the bonus of going on to raise awareness, support conservation initiatives, and help injured turtles. All wonderful items for the turtle lover and conservation enthusiast.
Think Turtle has three new t-shirt designs planned for this season, which we hope to have ready for the May 18th market date. Each t-shirt features a unique turtle-themed design and a different awareness message.
Other items of interest include “Watch 4 Turtles” signs (wooden and coroplast), car magnets, bumper stickers, Shell Yeah keychains, t-shirts, and fridge magnets. We also have pinback buttons available. The proceeds from Think Turtle merchandise sales support our education initiatives and species recovery efforts.
Crafting 4 Turtles Items
A selection of “Crafting 4 Turtles” (C4T) handcrafted items will also be available for purchase. The proceeds from “ALL” C4T sales will go towards treating and caring for injured turtles admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, home of Ontario’s turtle hospital, this turtle season.
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Your support inspires us and gives us hope as the turtle season progresses. We look forward to achieving great things with you this year. Thank you so much for following our education initiatives and species recovery efforts. The Think Turtle Conservation Initiative supports biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in Ontario.
Please remind all the drivers in your household and visitors to be mindful of the turtles and other wildlife we share the roads and trails with. Thank you.
Warm Regards,
Kelly Wallace, Managing Director
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Cell/Text: 647-606-9537
Email: thinkturtle@yahoo.com
Facebook: thinkturtleci
Username: Wallace Kathleen Kelly
Website: thinkturtle.ca
Facebook Post: #1199
THINK TURTLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE 