Turtle Road Crossing Monitors – Protocols and Safety Guidelines

This summer 2021, Turtle Guardians has partnered with the Peterborough and Haliburton Road Departments to monitor and mitigate turtle road mortality at key hotspots. We will be installing temporary silt fencing at some of the sites to deter turtles from reaching the road and to help reduce the numbers of turtles being hit and injured or killed. As a Turtle RoadCrossing Monitor, you will help monitor these predetermined high turtle mortality/road-crossing areas to assist turtles in danger of being struck by vehicles, and depending on the site you choose/get assigned, you will also inspect and/or repair temporary silt fencing. In addition, you will help collect data on turtle species and numbers, ensure that nesting turtles get the protection they need, and that injured turtles get the medical care they require. Thank you for all your time and dedication in helping Ontario's turtles!

Turtle Road Crossing Monitor Training Modules

Part 1: Turtle Identification Module

Part 2: Turtle Road Crossing Monitor Safety and Procedure Module

Stay tuned for the training module coming soon! For now, you can refer to the Road Researcher training module as many of the safety guidelines are very similar.

Turtle Road Crossing Monitor Protocols

2021 TRCM Protocols & Safety_(printable to take into the field)
2021 TRCM Decision Tree (printable to take into the field - use if your site does not have silt fencing)
2021 TRCM Decision Tree - With Silt Fencing (printable to take into the field - use if your site has silt fencing)

Hardcopy Field Data Sheets

2021 TRCM Field Sheet - Turtle Sighting Data (printable to take into the field)
2021 TRCM Field Sheet - Nest Sighting Data (printable to take into the field)
2021 TRCM Field Sheet - Silt Fence Inspection Data (printable to take into the field)

Online Reporting Sheet

When you sign up, you will be emailed a link to access your own online Google Sheet which you will use to record your data during/after every field survey. If you are recording your findings on paper sheets, you will then transcribe the data onto this online Google Sheet once you get home. Alternatively, if you have internet access in the field, you can record your data directly onto the online Google Sheet. Please contact us if you have any difficulties with this document.