HO, HO, HO, Merry Christmas From Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Okay, who went overboard on wanting a white Christmas? We hope the impending winter storm will not affect your holiday plans. Please be smart and safe about travelling over the holidays and thereafter even if it means cancelling plans.
It is the time of year we reflect back on the education initiatives, awareness raising campaigns and species recovery efforts Think Turtle engaged in this turtle season and the partnerships that made this work possible.
Turtle Season 2022
The following is a recap of the conservation initiatives Think Turtle engaged in this year. None of which would have been possible without a whole lot of help. Thank you to our Partners, Volunteers, Contributors, Colleagues, Friends and Family for your support and partnership this year. We could not have accomplished a fraction of what we did this turtle season without you. Our successes are your successes!
Working together our ‘COMBINED EFFORTS’ had a hand in monitoring stretches of road known to be road mortality hot spots, installing more road awareness signs, protecting turtle nests, helping injured turtles get medical treatment, raising funds to help care for the injured turtles admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (turtle hospital), helping turtle hatchlings get the best possible start to their journey, cleaning-up critical wildlife habitat, advocating for turtles, protecting Ontario’s natural heritage, inspiring other adults and youth to help and by virtue of the interconnections we helped other wildlife, and so much more.
This post is set-up so you can easily read just the subject matter that interests you or read the information in its entirety.
POST CONTENT
(1) Brief Outline
(2) Stewardship
(3) Nest Protection
(4) Contributions
(5) Community Assistance
(6) Belleville
(7) Crafting 4 Turtles
(8) Turtle Errands
(9) Watch 4 Turtles Signs
(10) Public Events
(11) Watch 4 Turtles Car Magnets
(12)Project Safe Passage
(13) Super Glue
(14) Turtles Take The Win
(15) OTCC Merchandise
(16) Injured Turtles
(17) Media
(18) Bill 23
(1) Brief Outline: Turtles are very sensitive to environmental changes and this turtle season this was noticeably apparent. Turtle season got off to a rough start due to a slow transition from winter to spring accompanied by challenging weather patterns. April was darn right cold. Things got back on track nearing the end of May into June as the turtle girls settled in to nest but they were definitely affected by the chopping and changing of the temperatures above ground and below. They tried their best but nesting season was far from usual. The season peaked end of August to early October with the arrival of the turtle hatchlings and an unofficial official TVO contest win for Snapping Turtles on October 10th was an added bonus! This jubilation was brought to a screeching halt when Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act was rolled out on October 25th and passed on November 28th.
(2) Stewardship: With so many people having moved from urban centres to rural communities during the pandemic we made a concerted effort to connect with new landowners, land users and land management that own, use and/or oversee areas that include turtle habitat as well as longstanding residents. Through these connections we were able to offer guidance to people in local and neighboring communities that would help them avoid and minimize negative impacts on turtle habitat, protect turtle nests and familiarize them with the resources available to help turtles such as the OTCC turtle hospital, should a nest be accidentally unearthed or an unforeseen circumstance occurs. We met some wonderful people and it was such a delight seeing former city dwellers so excited about there being turtle activity on their property.
(3) Nest Protection: ‘THANKS’ to the support of the Bancroft Township, Municipality of Hastings Highlands, Faraday Township and Limerick Township the ‘Nest Protection Initiative’ we embarked on this turtle season was particularly successful. In combination with these valued partnerships, a brilliant team of volunteers and community nest monitors made it possible to see that over ‘1,003’ turtle hatchlings got the best possible start to their journey.
(4) Contributions: This year we received monetary contributions, supply contributions and people contributed their services. We can’t say enough nice things about the people that made a charitable contribution to Think Turtle this year. We are touched by the confidence you have in the conservation work we engage in. We really care about the work we do and it means the world to us that people want to help the turtles as much as we do in the ways that they can.
As nesting season got underway the reality of surging gas prices hit us hard. One hates to equate money with helping turtles but it does and monitoring turtle activity involves a lot of travel. Thanks to some very considerate donations intended specifically for gas we were able to help injured turtles and monitor nesting activity in the usual ways we would. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the individuals that helped out that way. Your contribution was instrumental in saving turtles and you should feel so good about that.
Thank you to the individuals, groups and businesses that donated funds, supplies, services, made nest protectors, helped with data entry and research, painted Watch 4 Turtle signs and so much more. Your willingness to help says so much about the person you are and we think you’re fantastic!
(5) Community Assistance: In addition to helping many people locally with all manner of turtle related inquiries we fielded a high volume of calls and responded to e-mails and Facebook messages from concerned citizens from across Ontario to do with turtle nests, nest protection, injured turtles, illegal turtle activities, hatchlings, road mortality prevention, awareness signage, etc. It is estimated that we were able to assist ‘350’ turtles likely more through this means. A service we are happy to provide year round and are so grateful to the people that reached out to us for assistance. Thank you for helping turtles by asking questions and seeking answers.
(6) Belleville: We have been helping the City of Belleville and concerned citizens for the past three years with various turtle related matters. This turtle season with the support of Operations Supervisor, Kyle Hawkins-Schulz and community volunteers we were given permission to install Turtle Alert signs in concerning parking lots adjacent to the waterfront trail and Zwicks Park. Working with property owners/management in the downtown district more signs were installed to assist with locations known to experience turtle activities in the parking lots. This year we also helped co-ordinate volunteers to monitor turtle nesting activity and hatchlings activity in the Belleville area and assisted with concerns to do with the turtle pond after an alleged turtle poaching incident. All and all the one constant we were glad to see was that from signs installed and awareness posters posted in the community people in Belleville were keen to ask questions and eager to help the local turtle population in the ways they could. Overall, a positive outcome.
(7) Crafting 4 Turtles: Think Turtle launched the ‘CRAFTING 4 TURTLES’ initiative in 2018 to encourage adults and youth to use their crafts skills and hobbies to help turtles. Each year funds raised through the sale of handcrafted items made by adults and youth in the community go towards the treatment and care of injured turtles admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC), home of Ontario’s turtle hospital.
After five years this initiative is still going strong. Thanks to very talented and caring Crafters/Artists in Bancroft and neighboring communities including: The Carriagehouse in Maynooth and Belleville our combined efforts raised ‘$1,500.70’ this turtle season for the turtle hospital. These funds were raised through the handcrafted items being sold at public events/markets Think Turtle participated in during May, July and August and Christmas Sales. Items made are most often turtle or nature themed. Some of the handcrafted items included: small crochet/knit turtles, quilted mug rugs, resin turtle key chains/necklaces, felted pins, crochet turtle potholders, paintings, crochet/knit afghans, crochet bees and some associated donations.
Thank you to the Crafters and Artists for your generous support by donating a handcrafted item to this years Crafting 4 Turtles initiative.
WANNA HELP TURTLES THIS WINTER? If anyone is interesting in making handcrafted items for the ‘2023 Crafting 4 Turtles’ initiative please get in touch for more details. It is our hope that adults and youth will view this as a great way to volunteer their time and creative skills over the winter for a good cause from the comfort of their home.
(8) Turtle Errands: During turtle season we get extraordinarily busy as a result time is a precious commodity. There is never enough to see to all that needs seeing to and add to that the cost of gas when we have an errand to run that is not local. Being able to connect with people in the community that are heading to towns/cities we have an errand to see to saves us time and money. Assistance in this way is so appreciated! Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every person that helped us this turtle season with errands. Quite often these errands are time sensitive and necessary because we were not able to purchase materials locally that we needed in conjunction with the species recovery efforts we are engaged in.
(9) Watch 4 Turtles Signs: The ‘Watch 4 Turtles’ signs continue to sell and raise awareness locally and in communities throughout Ontario to help prevent turtle road mortality. According to our records as of this month ‘2,204’ Watch 4 Turtles signs have been installed. Thank you to everyone that has purchased a Watch 4 Turtles sign and installed it on their property or another location they have permission to.
(10) Public Events: It was so nice to participate in public events again this year. We kicked off turtle season with the Apsley Spring Extravaganza and Carlow Mayo Community Yard Sale in May. In June, we were too busy monitoring turtle activity to do any events. July and August we set-up at the Bancroft and Maynooth Farmers’ Market. September and October were again super busy months for us with turtle hatchlings showing-up and calling the shots. We got back to public events in November and December participating in several Christmas Sales. Each event was a welcomed opportunity to connect with new people in the area that had questions, old friends with turtle stories to catch-up on and visitors to the area. Note: Met a young couple from Texas that was thrilled to see the turtle conservation efforts in the area. They shared stories of helping huge Alligator Snapping Turtles across roads in their community. From what they were describing we’ve got it easy, our resident Snapping Turtles are dwarf size in comparison. No matter, big or small we’d help ’em all!
(11) Watch 4 Turtles Car Magnets: The Watch 4 Turtles car magnets continue to sell well in large part thanks to our friends at Bancroft Home Hardware, The Old Hastings Gallery and The Carriagehouse that kindly stocked the car magnets through spring to fall and again over this holiday season.
This holiday season Think Turtle wanted to do something extra special for an organization that helps animals. From November 8th to December 28th $1 from the sale of each ‘Watch 4 Turtles’ car magnet and bumper sticker sale would be donated to ‘Home Again’ to support their efforts caring for and finding forever homes for so many cats and dogs. We wanted to do this as a way of saying ‘THANK YOU’ to an organization that touches our hearts with all they do.
Through in store sales, Christmas Sales Think Turtle participated in, mail order and curbside sales the combined number of car magnets and bumper stickers that sold were ‘204’.
Thank you to everyone that sold or purchased a car magnet or bumper sticker for themselves or to give as a gift during this fundraiser. This made it possible to send a donation of ‘$204’ to Home Again Bancroft to help them help dogs and cats.
We love that in the spring when the Watch 4 Turtles car magnets and bumper stickers are applied to vehicles they will act as mobile visual cue to raise awareness and help prevent turtle road mortality.
Thank you to Sandy in Guelph and our friends far and wide for helping the Watch 4 Turtles message go ‘mobile’ to remind more motorists to be mindful of turtles while driving on main roads and secondary roads in cottage country, rural communities and the outskirts of urban communities as well as on ATV trails.
(12) Project Safe Passage: In February 2020 Think Turtle launched ‘Project Safe Passage.’ This was to be a fundraising campaign we would focus on in 2020 to raise funds to go towards the installation of mitigation measures to address turtle road mortality hot spots where the funds would be best put to use at the end of the fundraising campaign. Project Safe Passage was launched prior to knowing COVID would reshape all our lives in 2020 – 2021 and public events would be cancelled and/or limited. With this change raising funds for Project Safe Passage to the degree we had hoped through public events and community engagement was not something that could be pursued.
We did however; raise some funds between 2020 and 2022 to go towards this important cause.
Think Turtle is pleased to report that ‘$1,002’ was raised and donated to the The Land Between Charity as part of the Turtle Guardians program to go towards the costs of the important ‘pilot’ underpass jump-out fencing site they are working on. These funds were raised through the sale of butter tarts, a percentage of Watch 4 Turtle bumper sticker sales and small but meaningful donations received.
The success of this pilot mitigation site is important and why we chose to donate the funds raised through Project Safe Passage to The Land Between Charity. If all goes well this mitigation site could prove to be a model for addressing high risk turtle road mortality hot spots on ‘secondary roads’ in communities throughout regions of Ontario. We wish The Land Between Charity much success with this mitigation venture and will be keeping tabs on the progress.
Thank you to everyone that contributed to making this donation to The Land Between Charity possible!
(13) Super Glue: Since 2018 we have every year done what we could to see that the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) home of Ontario’s turtle hospital is well stocked with Lepage Ultra Gel Super Glue. Sounds funny we know but this adhesive processes the precise characteristics to be highly effective in the treatment of turtles admitted to the hospital with shell injuries. It is not used on wounds but instead to adhere the fasteners that aid in fractured and shattered turtle shells mending. This specialized super glue is expensive and a must have. This year we were ‘SO’ pleased to play a part in arranging for Henkel Canada to make a generous donation of Lepage Ultra Gel Super Glue to the turtle hospital. ‘THANK YOU’ so much Henkel, your kindness will go on to help many turtles!
(14) Turtles Take The Win: Back on August 3rd when TVO began featuring the profiles of the 16 animals that would be included in the contest to pick Ontario’s Unofficial Official Animal. Turtle people throughout Ontario were thrilled to see the Snapping Turtle included in the contest. But in all honesty when seeing the cute, furry and/or iconic animals the Snapping Turtle would have to go up against most thought the chances of a win were thought highly unlikely. As the Snapping Turtle progressed from one animal match-up to the next the excitement grew as did the possibility of a win. Reaching the semi-finals against the Algonquin Wolf and then the final against the Loon was such an amazing accomplishment in itself! To actually win against the strongest contender in the contest the ‘Loon’ was so exciting and a marked achievement for the Ontario turtles.
Thank you so much for voting and helping promote the Snapping Turtles bid to win. Each vote played a role in this epic win and is cause to rejoice and feel a sense of pride.
(15) OTCC Merchandise: Prior to the pandemic Think Turtle used to help out OTCC by taking some of their merchandise to public events we participated in to sell. This holiday season we got the opportunity to one again sell OTCC merchandise at Christmas Sales. We are happy to report that this holiday season Think Turtle sold $1,100 in OTCC merchandise.
Thank you to anyone that purchased OTCC merchandise for themselves or as a gift for someone.
(16) Injured Turtles: As we celebrate our conservation successes in 2022, we also turn our thoughts to the ‘1,885’ injured turtles that have been admitted to the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC) this turtle season. 90% of the turtles admitted are the result of being struck by a motor vehicle. The fact that there have been so many admissions is disturbing. It is an indication of poor driving practices such as; speeding, distracted driving, aggressive driving and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The increase in OPP tickets issued this year confirms this. Please note that although it is great that Ontario has a turtle hospital and that injured turtles are being reported and admitted this is basically treating the symptom of a bigger problem and that is the careless and harmful manner in which some motorists are approaching road travel. This reminds us that there is far more to do to raise awareness and promote mitigation measures to help prevent turtle road injuries and mortality. During turtle season April to October please remind members of your household that drive and visitors to be mindful of the wildlife we share the roads with.
A ginormous ‘THANK YOU’ to the people that got in touch with Think Turtle to inquire about helping an injured turtle, the people that offered drives and the people that drove injured turtles to the OTCC. These efforts made it possible to help over ’30’ injured turtles/eggs/hatchlings found locally and in neighboring communities get to the turtle hospital this turtle season. A good many that stand a chance of returning home in the spring to be released having got to the OTCC for medical attention.
Thank you to the people that reported injured turtles to OTCC, the OTCC Turtle Taxi Team for arranging rides and the OTCC Medical Team for giving so many turtles a second chance!
(17) Media: As always we appreciate the opportunity to share information that could potentially make the difference between a turtle getting help in Ontario or not. Thanks to a network of supportive radio hosts and reporters locally and throughout Ontario efforts to raise awareness through interviews with radio (97.7 FM Moose, Belleville CJBQ and other stations), articles in the Bancroft This Week. Bancroft Times newspapers, Apsley Backroads, various publications and newsletters were made possible. This collaborative effort was instrumental in sharing information about the perils Ontario turtles face on and off the roads and what we can all do as concerned citizens to help the turtles. This translates into helping turtles in a big way.
Thank you to the radio hosts, journalists and reporters for your generous help in advocating for turtles, natural habitat, conservation and concerning related matters.
(18) Bill 23: The passing of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act on October 25th despite significant criticism and concerns expressed province wide was a massive disappointment and set-back for environmental protection. Many people are now asking, “What’s next?” Although Bill 23 has passed into legislature ‘we must remain engaged’ individually and collectively regarding the issues we are concerned about under Bill 23 and the associated policies. We must continue to send a clear and concise message to the provincial government to keep their ‘HANDS OFF’ protected land, farmland, forests and wetlands. These are essential habitat for wildlife (animals, plants, pollinators, etc) and home to ecosystems that provide services and provisions the people of Ontario depend on and could not do without.
A little time-out over the holidays as timing is everything.
We all need to take time over the holidays to be with the people we cherish and recharge our batteries because the arrival of the new year will mean stepping-up efforts to get Bill 23 repealed. Reminder: The closing date on the Environmental Registry for commenting on the Amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act is during the holidays. It would be very appreciated if you could submit a comment.
ENVIRONMENTAL REGISTRY POSTINGS
Comment on the proposed Amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act
ERO number #019-2927
October 25, 2022 – December 30, 2022 (66 days)
https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-2927
If wanting to read more about ‘What’s Next’ go to the ‘Repeal Bill 23’ page on our website: https://thinkturtle.ca/repeal-bill-23
Since Bill 23 was introduced into legislature, proposed changes to the Ontario Wetlands Evaluation System (OWES) and the Greenbelt Plan industry leaders, experts, groups, businesses and concerned citizens across the province have weighed in and that have stood up against Bill 23 and the associated policies. Thank you to everyone that has signed petitions, attended rallies, written letters, helped spread the word and commented on the Environmental Registry. Obviously these concerns remain ever present in our minds with plans to pick-up after the holidays with efforts to remind the provincial government of the fundamental principal that protecting Ontario’s natural heritage is a must for our generation and generations to come will resume. Thank you to IT STIX for the ‘Hands Off’ signs!
Together we are stronger and we have turtles on our side. That makes for the winningest combination.
In Conclusion
Every year at the end of turtle season reflecting back there is always the feeling that more could have been done. This can’t be helped there is just ‘so much to do!’ Together we accomplished a lot even though it may not feel that way. Helping turtles is about far more then helping one species it is about protecting the interconnections and unique role every species has in maintaining healthy functioning ecosystems that provide services that all life depends on. However we helped in this way is a good thing.
As we get ready to forge into a new year it is with the goal of helping more turtles next year and determination to do so knowing we do this together. We look forward to working with many of you again next turtle season.
Stay in touch! Although the turtles will be hibernating (brumating) for at least the next five months and safely off the roads during that time but ‘WE’RE’ still here! Think Turtle Conservation Initiative engages in conservation initiatives year round. If you have ‘ANY’ turtle related questions or concerns please get in touch. We welcome the opportunity to connect with people that are looking ahead to how they can help the turtles next turtle season and thereafter.
To keep up to date on turtle related news, Think Turtle education and initiatives, awareness raising campaigns and species recovery efforts be sure to checkout the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative WordPress Blog, follow us on Facebook or visit our website thinkturtle.ca.
From everyone at Think Turtle Conservation Initiative we wish you and the people and critters dear to you every happiness this holiday season and throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Take care and Safe travels.
Warm Regards,
Kelly Wallace, Managing Director
Think Turtle Conservation Initiative
Cell/Text: 647-606-9537
E-mail: thinkturtle@yahoo.com
Facebook: thinkturtleci
Username: Wallace Kathleen Kelly
Website: thinkturtle.ca
Facebook Post: #955
THINK TURTLE CONSERVATION INITIATIVE 