Grace, is an ancient snapping turtle, whose hibernation site is near the Haliburton Highlands Secondary School and feeding grounds extend beyond Head Lake across 118, and around Gelert Road- in other words, near many busy roads!Grace is likely over 125 years old judging by her carapace (upper shell) size, and could be as old as 200 years according to scientific studies. She is the largest turtle we, at Turtle Guardians, have had the honour of meeting in the county. She is 39cm, which is very close to the record size found in this area of Ontario that we know of at 42cm. Grace is not only notable because of her size, but she is missing her right eye.
Grace is named for the absolute miracle of her longevity and existence without significant injury or death in this busy area of roads and boats.
We have posted alerts to community members at large to watch for Grace on roads and notify us of any sightings. Grace needs to stay in her territory to survive and thrive and she needs our help. But Grace is like many other turtles- ancient, resilient and at the same time very vulnerable.
We, at Turtle Guardians, have launched an new volunteer program; Turtle Crossing Guards, to help monitor and assist turtles in high mortality zones get across roads safely. But to ensure that turtles are not injured and volunteers can get to them without causing havoc on roads, we are installing temporary silt fencing at these sites- so that volunteers can simply pick up the turtle and carry them across the road when it is safe to do so. Therefore we need some help! We need volunteers, but also funds to purchase silt fencing, high viz vests and signs that can demark the sites and the people, increasing safety for all.
Help us reach our targets through our GoFundMe Campaign here!
linda thornborrow
In regards to Grace with 1 eye & all turtles?
Turtles do adjust to their new habitats. If not, why does your organization take hatchlings & place them in totally different habitats from the original habitat/ home they were born in? All wild aquatic lives & land animal lives do adjust to new/different surroundings such as wild natural protected lands to live out their lives unharmed. I am trying to save snapping turtles that exist in a shallow channel in a corn field & is next to nil for water & on Wet Lands. This Wet Lands is currently up for proposed destruction by developers whose property it is for new streets, townhouses, apartment buildings, extend existing streets etc. Another developer is right next to this one on same land. Turtles do adjust to their new wild homes. For you to put out to the public that Turtles will not adjust to new wild homes is simply non biological un-facts. I cannot support your organization that purports to protect, save and re-locate turtles & hatchlings when you somehow see fit or morally, to allow Grace to continue to wander the deadly populated areas & streets? Especially with her vision is limited with 1 eye? Grace is asking humans to protect her life. Grace needs your immediate help. Grace requires your skills to safely pick her up & place her in the wild & protective lake & lands so she can safely live out her life. I fail to understand how
you can claim to protect turtles, care for turtles, relocate mature turtles & hatchlings and NOT PROTECT GRACE? Every second you leave Grace to traverse the streets etc. you have given Grace a certain death sentence. You failed to educate the public on FACTS. Mature turtles like hatchlings do & have adjusted to new wild habitats. Upnorth we re-located mature turtles &
hatchlings with their success to their new wild homes. It is very sad that your PR puts out “Save Grace” when it is yourselves whom have chosen to leave Grace to the perils of vehicle traffic, bicycles, scooters and even cruel humans. Thats probably how she lost her eye, a human poking a stuck at her. And snapping turtles small shell does not allow fir them to go into their shell for protection.
Leora Berman
Dear Linda,
We know it is very upsetting and we have all spent many sleepless nights fearing any harm to Grace as well. However, it is important to remember moving her is not the best option, specifically because wild adult turtles don’t necessarily adapt to relocation – and then it increases their chance of death. It is just not the best strategy.
Grace knows her wetland. As long as she wasn’t crushed by the initial filling in, she will likely be fine… loved by the community for years to come. Unfortunately, we’ll all just have to wait and see…
The best strategy is to help save their habitats, restoring what we’ve taken already, and help them across roads whenever possible.
The importance of wetlands is paramount – not just for turtles, but so much more.
Turtles help keep our environment healthy. That’s why there is legislation that supports their protection.
Turtles are linked to the earth and their territories. They’re aware of their surroundings, and given that they live longer than we do in some cases, it’s safe to assume they know where they are!
The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (the turtle hospital) asks the public to provide a precise location of where injured turtles that are submitted to the hospital were found – so they can release turtles in the same areas that they were found.
In fact, conservation agencies are generally required to release any adult turtles within the turtle’s known territory.
It is also illegal for anyone in the public to relocate a turtle in Ontario or remove it from the wild.
We encourage the public to reach out to other turtle conservation organizations, herpetology scientists, any agencies that deals with turtles, in order to validate these aspects of turtle conservation with you as well.
Over the past few years, we have asked the County to consider an underpass at Grace’s wetland too… and we will continue to pursue strategic ways to truly save Grace and her kin – by saving her wetland and related important spaces.
With sincere wishes for Grace and in solidarity with your heartfelt concerns,
The Turtle Guardians Team