Don’t worry, honey. We’re saving turtles!

Don’t worry, honey. We’re saving turtles!

By Kelly Wallace

Each year during nesting season, mid-May to mid-July, we receive phone calls from people locally and throughout Ontario who have had a turtle unexpectedly nest on their property and don’t know what to do. The great news is that in Ontario, under such circumstances, the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNRF) supports and approves of landowners protecting turtle nests on their property without a permit. In other provinces, e.g., Nova Scotia, a permit is required. It can take as long as 21 days to receive one if approved. Most unprotected nests are predated during the first 10 to 21 days, often within the first 24 hours.

The eight turtle species native to Ontario are designated species at risk due to habitat loss, road mortality, poaching, pollution, and other human activities. To help restore turtle populations, devices known as nest protectors are used to protect turtle nests from predators, erosion, and other threats. This helps ensure future generations of turtles vital to maintaining the health of water bodies and ecosystems that support the web of life on which we entirely depend and benefit.

Wood Frame Nest Protector

When a turtle nests on your property in Ontario, you can install a wood frame nest protector and are encouraged to do so as a contribution to species recovery. The wood frame nest protector must meet required MNRF design specifications to ensure the survival of the nest. These requirements include (1) Two – four holes must be cut in the frame through which the hatchlings can freely exit the nest protector and make their way to the nearest body of water, and (2) the wood frame must have 1/4″ (23 gauge) or 1/2″ (19 gauge) wire mesh (hardware cloth) fastened to the top so the nest has unobstructed access to sun, rain (moisture), air circulation, and drainage all being factors that contribute to the turtle embryos developing into healthy hatchlings. It is recommended that the nest protector be securely anchored to the ground using 12″ galvanized spikes or weighted down on each corner with heavy rocks to prevent predators from gaining access to the protected nest. When it comes to the rocks used, if you are hard-pressed to lift a rock used, so will predators.

Although nest protectors are a best-case deterrent, they do not come with a guarantee. If a predator is interested in a nest, it could dig under the nest protector. In most cases, if a nest protector is securely anchored to the ground or weighted down, this is enough resistance to cause a predator to move on. Wood frame nest protectors have proven to be very successful at protecting nests.

Note: In additional to the wood frame nest protector the MNRF does approve of a nest protector that sits flush to the ground referred to as a low profile nest protector provided it has openings that are at least 2″ x 3″. This is large enough for hatchlings to freely exit and make their way to the water. The low profile nest protector will need to be anchored into the ground or weighted down with heavy rocks that do not cover the nest. e.g. wire fencing, chain link fencing, etc.

If you observe a turtle nesting or find a nest on your property, protecting it as soon as possible is imperative. A fresh nest is especially vulnerable to predation within the first 24 hours.

Do not install a turtle nest protector on public property (road shoulders, parks, etc.) without permission, preferably in writing. There are jurisdiction bylaws, the highway act, safety considerations, and liability concerns that factor into where nest protectors are allowed to be installed and not allowed. If a citizen installs a nest protector without permission on property they do not own, the person who installed the nest protector could be liable and held responsible for harm, injury, or death caused to motorists, bikers, pedestrians, etc., as a result.

Purchase

Property owners can purchase wood frame nest protectors in various communities, or you can make one. Think Turtle has nest protectors available in Bancroft, and we have instructions to construct a nest protector. Visit our website’s ‘Education Resources’ page for this information and more, or call us at 647-606-9537.

Poorly Timed

Being realistic, sometimes turtles do not nest at ideal times; knowing all of the above does not change the fact that here you are, it’s 8 pm, and a turtle has nested on your property, and you do not have a nest protector or the materials to make one. We get to hear of people under such circumstances resorting to DIY methods for protecting turtle nests, sometimes just for the night, other times for the entire incubation period. One has to be very careful what they use. Turtle nests are living, breathing entities, and if unsuitable nest protection measures are used without meaning to, a nest deprived of sun, moisture, or air can be harmed or killed. There are MNRF requirements to meet for a reason.

Resorting to a bit of MacGyvering we have a trick for getting a turtle nest through the night until you can either purchase a nest protector or make one. Don’t laugh! Most everyone has a stove, meaning oven racks are readily available and an easy temporary fix. How so? Cover the nest with an oven rack and place a heavy rock on each corner. More rocks can also be added to the sides but ‘do not cover the center’ where the nest is. For additional backup to deter predators, if you have a spray mist bottle, fill it with undiluted white vinegar and spray the area around the nest, oven racks, rocks, and surrounding area. If you saw the path the Turtle left by, spray that as well. Many a nest has made it through the night using this wee trick.

We received a follow-up phone call last June that, to this day, remains a favorite. A painted turtle nested, the lady that called did not have a nest protector, and night was setting in. We shared our temporary fix with her. The phone call we got back related that her husband thought she had lost her mind while he watched her retrieve an item from the house and place it on the ground with rocks around it. Puzzled, he asked, “Is that one of our oven racks?” She declared, “Yes, but don’t worry about it, honey. We’re saving turtles!”

To contact the author e-mail thinkturtle@yahoo.com or visit the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative website at http://www.thinkturtle.ca

Facebook Post: #1023