Conservation is something that we can all get behind, and the Pinery Provincial Park is trying to get the word out about the conservation of local turtle species through several programs – including one reminding people about turtle crossings. The destruction of their nesting habitats through erosion and construction have caused local turtle species to seek riskier locations for their nests – a common place that they nest now is in gravel, alongside roads, and in ditches. This presents an obvious risk to the animals as they navigate those crossings. Supervisor of Discovery and Resource Management at Pinery Provincial Park Alistair MacKenzie, says that turtles provide a vital service to the ecosystem.
As an individual, MacKenzie says that you can do your part to help protect the turtles.
Alongside protecting them on road crossings, another initiative that the park is working on, is protecting turtle nests from predators like raccoons. The most common types of turtle species you’ll see in our area include the Midland Painted Turtle, which is identified by a beautiful red, orange, marking on the perimeter of shell, and the Snapping Turtle, a species that can live a lifespan comparable to a human. Some less common turtles in our area also include Map Turtles and Spiny Softshell Turtles. Turtles are slow to reproduce, and live for a long time. Many will likely not lay eggs and breed until they’re 10-20 years old and will live for decades after. Throughout their lifecycle, most of the eggs that they lay will be lost to predators, or erosion of shorebanks and other natural habitat disturbances. Educating yourself is the most important thing that anyone can do, says MacKenzie.
You can also report turtle sightings through an app called iNaturalist, which also has a camera you can use to identify species.The app is used by a variety of novices and experts, and is helpful for monitoring biodiversity across the province. For more information about turtles, you can always visit the Pinery Visitor’s Centre, or go to ontarioparks.com/park/pinery
Written by: B. Shakyaver