Turtle Guardians work to save turtles and their habitats. We connect kids, people and communities with nature, which inspires them to take action and heal the world!
A program of the Land Between charity #805849916RR0001
Found a turtle? Keep wild turtles wild. Do not keep them. Here’s why and what to do (link).
Record and report its location through the Turtle Guardians website form here, or through our iNaturalist project
Contact Turtle Guardians by calling 705-457-1222 or texting 705-854-2888
ALERT: Help Us Protect Wildlife Spaces That Support Grace, the Ancient Turtle in Haliburton, and Her Shelled Friends!
Turtles, wildlife and nature are in jeopardy when municipalities don’t have necessary controls in place. Without site plan alteration bylaws in the Highlands, our municipalities don’t have the tools to enforce environmentally sensitive and important areas, and they don’t have any processes to review activities and find adaptive solutions either. Are our municipalities leaving the back door open on protecting our natural heritage?
A wetland is being filled in where Grace, the 125+ year old turtle with one eye and the oldest breeding female snapping turtle on record in the Highlands, as well as some of her friends, may be hibernating. There is about a 50/50 chance that she hibernates at the site in question. This site is special also because there are other Threatened species in this wetland complex making the area critical habitat and warranting protection under the Endangered Species Act. But the wetland is also zoned Environmentally Protected and it also plays a role in flood control – and while the bylaw officer is doing what he can, it seems that the municipality does not have a site alteration bylaw in place- These are the necessary tools to enforce and manage their zoning.
We need your support! Not only to perhaps save Grace, also any of her kin that are within basin in question, and also to conserve all other wetlands and significant wildlife areas that support or natural heritage, outdoor sports and recreation, flood control and ecosystem services in Haliburton, today and for the foreseeable future.
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EMAIL DYSART ET AL
Help save our natural heritage by ensuring our municipality backs up their plans with tools and actions. Email Haliburton’s leaders and share your concerns: Click this link
SIGN OUR PETITION
To read about Grace, the site, turtle biology, and our hopes and plans watch this space, sign up as a Guardian, or go to our GoFundMe page. You can support us by volunteering (email info@turtleguardians.ca) or by contributing through the Campaign.
Consider signing our petition. LINK HERE
On Sale Now- The 2022 Blockbuster Movie Turtle Guardian Calendar
~ Sales support road mitigation projects~
~Help us Help Turtles~
Guardians help save and protect our oldest relatives. Find out more here (link)
All volunteer activities can be completed in a way that abides by current social distancing protocols and best practices. Many of our activities can be done in the safety of your own home, backyard, as part of your daily routines, independently, or in contained and manageable spaces, in order to put public health and safety first.
Thanks to our partners
The Turtle Guardian Program delivery area is in The Land Between– a region where 1/3 of Ontario’s turtles live.
The Land Between charity and Scales Nature Park are the backbone of this collaborative effort with our amazing partners.
Turtle Guardians has received invaluable funding support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to grow this program across the province!
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