Heart Lake Turtle Troopers

Brampton, ON

Nest Monitoring & Protection | Education | Citizen Science

Nest protection

• Build and maintain nest protectors, gather funds where necessary.
• Protect nests – either after watching/monitoring a nesting turtle or nest can be identified after the fact (e.g. snapping turtle nests).
• Monitor nest protectors – ensure access points still open for hatchlings, mesh is in good shape, nest protector does not have any areas where predators can get in.

 

Education

• Provide orientation in collaboration with the TRCA for their new recruits to help with monitoring and protection of turtles and turtle nests.
• Present information to other groups (e.g. Rotary club).
• Assist groups in their area with proper turtle monitoring/handling (e.g. Brampton Animal Services).
• Provide information to passerby, as needed or requested, to help them understand how to help turtles injured or not.
• Hand out flyers to local community for raising turtle awareness in their area.

 

Citizen Science

• Keep data on nest protectors – nesting date, species, emergence dates, etc.
• Assist biologist in gathering other data as needed (e.g. count of hatched eggs in snapping turtle nests at end of season).
• Monitor situations within community that could have bearing on turtle survival (e.g. road injuries, displaced turtles due to capped pond)
• Monitor situations within local lakes that could affect turtles abilities or health (e.g. gabion fencing causing issues to get in and out of water, lack of basking sites)

 

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