Help Them Make it Home Safely

Support Turtle Population Recovery

Why Turtles?

Turtles are Wildlife Heroes

They were here before the dinosaurs, and survived 5 mass extinctions. 70% of fish and wildlife across Eastern North America depend on wetlands for survival, and turtles are the best custodians of these habitats. Now, due to roads and development, they are being lost faster than they can be replaced. Today 75% of the world's turtles are in jeopardy of becoming extinct; all of Canada's are listed as "At Risk" and almost half of all turtles in the U.S.A.

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How We're Helping Turtles?

A Turtle Road Safety and Guardianship Network

Research

Turtle Guardians has one of the longest road ecology studies in North America, measuring population trends relative to  road impacts and landscape changes. We also work in partnership with colleges and universities to answer pertinent questions about turtle recovery.

Recovery

Turtle Guardians has designed and tested new turtle tunnel fencing systems that are affordable, durables, and safe for all wildlife. To support turtle population recovery, we are Canada's third largest incubation centre- and soon to be a turtle nursery head-starting hatchlings for a health future.

Rescue

Turtle Guardians includes team-biologists and trained volunteers spanning eastern North America who are first responders, patrolling roads and helping turtles in distress. We also empower kids and community leaders to support rescue through education and leadership support.

Learn More

What's Trending...

A Shout Out

We want to thank Akshit. Akshit is a Grade 12 student with a passion for engineering, robotics, and using technology to solve real-world problems. He is currently exploring ways to apply his engineering skills to support conservation efforts, and recently connected with Turtle Guardians to explore the development of a decision-support tool to help prioritize potential turtle ecopassage sites across the region!

 

We Make Learning Fun

Turtle Guardians provides in person and online talks for kids of all ages. We also have designed turtley cool curriculum for elementary schools for many subjects. Have us join your class or join in a community event.

Fees for presentations apply.

Curriculums are free for download!

 

An Onsite AGM...at the Nursery!

Turtle Guardians has been researching turtle population health in central Cottage Country for 10 years. Now one of the longest road ecology databases has shown us the trends and priorities....

Join us onsite at the location for our new turtle nursery centre to learn more. September 25th at 2pm in Gooderham, ON

Stop in to see the Teaching Turtles this Fall

We are open this fall for kids of all ages to meet our Teaching Turtle crew. A guided and live turtle experience! We are open Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-6, and Saturdays from 11-6, all of September.

Coming Soon! Cool Skills

Do you love wildlife? Do you want to learn about and help turtles? Become a TG Leader in your community. These interactive classes and workshops will teach you everything from turtle biology and behaviour, and then the scientific skills to monitor and research turtle populations in your community. This is a certificate based course, for youth ages 15 to 25, or First Nation members. But don't worry, we will make all online interactive lessons available for all volunteers.

The course will be starting October 2026. Stay tuned!

Did You Find a Turtle?

Text the Turtle Hotline

Nesting, injured, or simply have questions? Text our hotline.

705-854-2888

Open from 7am to 11pm EST each day

Other ways to track and report sightings

How Your Support Shapes the Future

Advancements in Conservation

We have empowered thousands of kids and community members to save turtles-moving mitigation across Nations!

We have pioneering designs to ensure safe passage for turtles across roads that are durable and inexpensive.

With your help we have the longest running road-based dataset in North America- so we can prioritize efforts, and answer questions about the impacts of roads and surrounding development to turtles.

Being in the field also means we spot emerging trends and important observations- which help us design and collaborate on research to advance turtle recovery.

And we have become a foremost incubation agency in Canada.

Find out more

Are You Interested in More Turtle News?

Keep in Touch

Or sign-up to receive our newsletter, Snapshots:

Visit us in person

Turtle Guardians headquarters is located at 235 Highland St. Lower, Haliburton.

We also offer off-site workshops and events!

Book a Tour or Other On-site Event

The Saving Grace Story

Grace, the one-eyed, and oldest recorded female snapping turtle in Ontario’s Highlands was found- deceased in July 2023. 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. And after worldwide concern and over 125,000 signatures, the municipality and province are fumbling... Read more...