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  • About
    • Our Work
      • Turtle Guardian Program Evaluation
    • Who Are Turtle Guardians?
    • Our Centre – Contact Us
    • Turtle Camp 2024
    • The Land Between: Ontario’s Turtle Country
    • Our Partners & Supporters
  • Helping Turtles
    • So you found a turtle…
    • 13 Ways to Help Turtles
    • Nesting Turtles and Helping Hatchlings
    • Dapper Snappers
    • How Old is That Turtle?
    • Our Work
  • Educational Resources
    • Turtle Camps 2023
    • Classes, Presentations, Workshops, & Camps
    • TG Blogs
    • Reducing Threats
    • Turtle Facts
    • Turtle Identification
      • Parts of a Turtle
      • Blanding’s Turtle
      • Map Turtle
      • Painted Turtle
      • Snapping Turtle
      • Spiny Softshell Turtle
      • Spotted Turtle
      • Stinkpot Turtle/Musk Turtle
      • Wood Turtle
    • Turtle ID Quiz
    • Turtle Habitats
      • Lakes & Rivers
      • Ponds & Marshes
      • Swamps & Carrs
      • Bogs & Fens
    • School Curriculums
      • Turtle Guardians Curricula Videos
      • Intermediate (Grades 7-8)
      • Junior (Grades 4-6)
      • Primary (K-3) Grades
      • The Turtle Stories Platform
  • Volunteer
    • Help save Ontario’s turtles this summer!
    • Volunteer Reporting Forms
  • Report A Sighting
  • Other Ways You Can Help
    • Donate
    • Symbolically “Adopt” A Hatchling
    • Turtle Conservation Wish List
    • Shop
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A collective of kids and communities helping turtles and protecting wetlands

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Turtles Are Wildlife Heroes

About 70% of fish and wildlife across Eastern North America depend on freshwater turtles to clean water, cycle nutrients, and spread seeds & biodiversity.

However, 75% of the world's turtles and tortoises are at risk of becoming extinct.

It's all about prevention! Check out our work...

Building Skills and Knowledge

Conserving Wetlands

Researching Populations

Head-starting Hatchlings

Educational Programs

Protecting Mother Turtles

Reducing Threats to Turtles

Road Patrols

Who are Turtle Guardians?
They are people like you and me!

Learn More

CLASSES & TALKS

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COMING SOON: TURTLE BIRTHDAYS!

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EVENTS

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BREAKING NEWS: It Is By Grace...Remains of +125 Yr. Beloved Turtle Found

July 2023 - Grace, the one-eyed, and oldest recorded female snapping turtle in Ontario’s Highlands was recently found- deceased. Her story began as a celebrated and recognized icon in the small village of Haliburton. The difficulty ensued in January 2022 when her hibernation site, an Environmentally Protected wetland was filled, in part due to a lack of local protections. Of all parts of a turtle's territory, it is the hibernation sites that they are most loyal to because of their unique features allowing for safe overwintering. The story culminated in Grace's remains being found but not where one would expect. Her bones were in an entirely different watershed, in a place and a time where Grace would not have ventured of her own volition. Read more...

Read Grace's Story

October 27th at noon: A Walk to Commemorate Grace

Walk with Indigenous Knowledge Holders, TG staff, community members, and youth from the Trillium Lakelands School Board. We will meet at the Haliburton Highschool Football Grounds on Friday the 27th at noon. A second morning walk on Sunday the 29th at 10:30 at the same location will occur. Grace's remains will be brought to the walk and ceremonial prayers will be shared.  For more information contact us

Contact us
Sign our petition_ in the name of Grace
Learn about cuts to wildlife protection

Help Us Install Turtle Tunnels to Save Turtles

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Turtles are fundamental to the health of our ecosystems and wildlife populations. They are therefore important for our survival too! Meanwhile we have lost more than 60% of freshwater turtle populations and their numbers keep declining! One major threat is road mortality. Turtle Guardians has been identifying road mortality hotspots and will be installing ecopassages using tested and innovative designs. Help us succeed in saving turtles.

Help install tunnels on October 16-18!

VOLUNTEER TO HELP INSTALL A TUNNEL IN HALIBURTON
DONATE TO OUR GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN
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Found a Turtle?...

Unless injured or in immediate danger, it is important to let turtles stay in nature, in their home territories. Learn what to do and why.

Found a turtle? Take note of the location, snap a photo, and help recovery planning for  populations

Report Turtle Sightings
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Our Impact, By The Numbers

At Turtle Guardians, we provide education, conduct research, rescue turtles on roads, and implement mitigation solutions. We also rescue, incubate and release turtle hatchlings under special permits. This practice, also known as "headstarting", increases odds of survival and helps bolster turtle populations.

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Crossing Signs and Billboards
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Road Infrastructure Projects
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Turtles Saved and Measured Across 5 Counties
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Hatchlings Incubated and Released
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Volunteers Trained Across Eastern Canada, the USA, and Australia
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Kids Educated in Conservation

Note: All research including turtle measurements, incubation and releases, and tunnel system installations are done under wildlife permits and with authorizations.

Latest News & Blogs

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Summer and Fall Jobs at TG

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Pheromones & Juvenile Turtles – Scent Trailing

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Why I Shouldn’t Relocate This Turtle…

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What Determines the Sex of a Turtle?

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Reproductive Ecology of Freshwater Turtles in Ontario

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Trials and Innovations -Testing Turtle Tunnels in The Land Between

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The Loyalty of Turtles to Their Routes

The Overwintering Struggles of Freshwater Turtles in Ontario

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Reptile Declines Worldwide

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Keep in touch with TG!

Visit us in person!

Turtle Guardians headquarters is located at 6712 Gelert Road, Haliburton. We're open for drop-in tours from July to October on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Satrudays from 10am to 4pm. From November to June contact us to book a tour.

We also offer off-site workshops and events!

Book a Tour or Other On-site Event

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Contact Turtle Guardians by calling 705-457-1222 or texting 705-854-2888

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