Research

Turtle Guardians conducts applied research to answer emerging questions about threats to turtle populations and recovery. Our long-term field programs allow us to recognize changes and unusual patterns as they emerge, investigate their significance, and identify new areas where research is urgently needed.

Our research spans road ecology and population trends, mortality and recruitment, nesting and reproductive ecology, egg viability and implosions, hatchling success, deformities and other emerging health concerns.

Just as importantly, our work helps us identify what we don't yet understand. Field observations, unexpected events and patterns within our long-term datasets can reveal new questions that warrant investigation. We document these observations, review the available science and work with research partners and specialists to develop new studies and research priorities.

Our Research Approach

Our research begins with what we see in the field and the questions that emerge from our long-term work with turtles. We design and conduct field research, collect and manage our own data, and use spatial and GIS analyses to explore patterns and trends across populations and landscapes.

Some questions we investigate ourselves, while others benefit from bringing together different areas of expertise. Where appropriate, we work in co-production with university researchers and other specialists, drawing on expertise in statistics, toxicology, laboratory analysis and other disciplines to complement our field research and data.

This combination of long-term field knowledge, extensive datasets, spatial analysis and collaborative expertise allows us to follow important questions wherever they lead, from understanding population declines to investigating unusual changes in eggs and hatchlings.

Ultimately, our research is about recognizing emerging threats, asking the questions that matter, and generating knowledge that can help guide turtle conservation and recovery.

Sample Mapping 2 - Watercourse Intersection Only

Current Research Efforts

Long Term Population Trends and Road Ecology

Turtle Guardians maintains one of the longest-running turtle road ecology datasets in Canada, based on dedicated patrol routes monitored annually since 2017. Standardized field data include species, location, mortality, age class, morphometrics and body condition.

These long-term data allow us to examine changes in turtle populations and road impacts across different landscapes. Current analyses focus on:

Biomass and age-class structure across species, comparing populations across areas and landscapes.
Population trends over time, including differences across primary, secondary and tertiary roads while considering landscape connectivity and habitat availability.
Cumulative road impacts, examining what long-term patterns in mortality, recruitment and population structure may reveal about the effects of roads on turtle populations.

The same dataset also allows us to identify nesting areas, road-mortality hotspots and important wildlife crossing locations, helping to direct ecopassage placement, road stewardship and other targeted conservation actions.

Our long-term monitoring also provides baseline and comparison data for Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) studies, allowing us to evaluate changes associated with road mitigation and other interventions.

Eggshell Integrity (Turtle Egg "Implosions")

Beginning in 2021-2022 and continuing through recent field seasons, Turtle Guardians began observing an unusual phenomenon during nest monitoring and excavation. In some locations, turtle eggs were observed to rapidly collapse inward, effectively imploding within minutes of being uncovered. These events were often preceded by a faint “snap–crackle” sound. At the same time, nests from other areas examined on the same days did not show similar behaviour.

To better understand whether this was a localized or broader issue, we consulted with colleagues and several turtle incubation and rehabilitation programs across Ontario. At the time of our inquiries, similar observations had not been widely reported elsewhere in the province, suggesting the phenomenon may be geographically limited or associated with specific environmental conditions. In 2023 we began gathering data and documenting the implosions to support this hypothesis.

Eggshell integrity in turtles can be influenced by several factors, including maternal health, calcium availability, and local environmental conditions affecting soils and aquatic systems.

At present, the cause of these implosions remains unknown. Possible explanations include environmental conditions such as calcium levels and related pH, or other ecological or physiological stressors. Broader changes in environmental chemistry including shifts in calcium availability, road salt inputs, or contaminants that may influence mineral metabolism or reproductive physiology and are among the factors being considered.

These observations led us to develop a research hypothesis and in 2024 begin seeking scientific partners to investigate the issue more formally. We are pleased to be collaborating with researchers at the University of Manitoba to analyze samples collected through this work and explore the environmental and physiological factors that may contribute to these observations.

At the same time, we continue to seek insights from other regions and organizations working with turtles to better understand whether this phenomenon is occurring elsewhere and under what conditions.

By expanding monitoring, laboratory analysis, and collaboration with researchers, Turtle Guardians and The Land Between aim to better understand the conditions associated with this phenomenon and determine whether it represents localized variation or a broader emerging concern for turtle reproduction.

Mark Recapture and Movement

Turtle Guardians maintains one of the longest-running road ecology datasets for turtles in Canada, based on dedicated patrol routes monitored annually since 2017. Field data are collected using standardized protocols and include information on species, location, mortality, and body condition.

These long-term data allow the organization to examine patterns in turtle populations and road impacts across different landscapes. Current analyses focus on:
• Biomass and age-class structure across species, comparing populations across areas and landscapes.
• Population trends over time, including differences across primary, secondary, and tertiary roads, while accounting for landscape connectivity and habitat availability.

Additional analyses are ongoing to better understand the cumulative impacts of roads on turtle populations and to support conservation and recovery science.

The dataset is also used to identify:

nesting areas,
road mortality hotspots, and
key wildlife crossing locations.

These insights help guide mitigation efforts, including ecopassage placement, road stewardship initiatives, and targeted conservation actions. The database also provides background for Before After Control Impact studies.

Ecopassage Fencing Design and Field Testing

Turtle Guardians has developed and is field-testing a prototype ecopassage jump-out fencing system designed to guide turtles safely toward wildlife underpasses while allowing animals that enter the roadway corridor to exit. The design builds on established wildlife exclusion fencing concepts while incorporating new materials intended to improve durability, stability, and ease of installation.

The system has been tested in field conditions over the past five years to evaluate performance under typical roadside stresses, including frost movement, soil shifting, and seasonal weather conditions. The design is intended to be rapid to deploy, cost-effective, and straightforward to maintain, with components that can be easily repaired or replaced when damaged.

The prototype is currently patent pending, and Turtle Guardians is continuing to refine the design through engineering review, including load-bearing assessments and corrosion testing, to better understand long-term performance in roadside environments.

This work supports the development of practical and scalable solutions for reducing road mortality and improving connectivity for turtles and other wildlife.

Overwintering Habitat Availability and Thresholds in Ontario’s Highlands

Turtle Guardians is conducting research to better understand the availability, characteristics, and thresholds of overwintering habitat for freshwater turtles in Ontario’s Highlands with a special focus on Common Snapping Turtles and secondarily on Blanding's Turtles. Overwintering sites are critical for turtle survival, as turtles remain submerged and largely inactive in aquatic habitats for several months each year.

This work focuses on identifying and mapping known overwintering locations and assessing the environmental conditions that support successful overwintering. In addition, we are examining how changing water levels and periods of low water may affect the suitability of these sites.

In addition to documenting the distribution of overwintering areas, this research aims to quantify the amount and quality of habitat required to support Common Snapping turtle populations, helping to identify thresholds of critical overwintering habitat within watersheds.

Understanding these thresholds has important implications for wetland conservation, water level management, and habitat protection, particularly in landscapes where water levels fluctuate or wetlands are altered. By improving our understanding of overwintering habitat availability and environmental limits, this work will help inform conservation planning and stewardship efforts across the region.

Spring Emergence_Snapping Turtles Study

Since approximately 2018, Turtle Guardians has received an increasing number of observations of Common Snapping Turtle hatchlings emerging in the spring, rather than in late summer or early fall when most hatchlings typically leave the nest. Many of these reports have come through our community-based monitoring initiative, the “Tiny Turtle Contest.”

In at least two documented cases, Turtle Guardians staff were called to investigate nests in the spring and excavated them to confirm the presence of live hatchlings that had overwintered in the nest.

We are currently mapping the locations of these observations and compiling environmental data to better understand the conditions associated with this phenomenon. In particular, we are examining relationships between nest substrate, snow cover, and shoulder season and winter temperature conditions to determine how these factors may influence hatchling overwintering and spring emergence.

As additional observations are reported, this work will help determine whether spring emergence is becoming more common and under what environmental conditions it occurs.

Research Projects and Archives

Turtle Guardians' research program has developed through nearly two decades of field observation, monitoring, experimentation and collaboration. The archive below documents the origins and leadership of our research projects and recognizes the specific contributions of staff, students, volunteers, advisors and research partners.

Blanding's Turtle Relative Abundance | 2007-present

Assessment of Blanding's Turtle relative abundance across The Land Between region.
Initiated and led by: Leora Berman.

Turtle Mortality Hotspots & Mitigation Prioritization | 2010-present

Identification of turtle mortality hotspots across The Land Between bioregion and characterization of mitigation options. Ongoing efforts to assess the feasibility and priority of potential ecopassage sites remain a core focus of Turtle Guardians.
Leads: Leora Berman, Kendra Chalmers, Daniel Grenon, Kyle Miller.

Basking & Overwintering Surveys | 2016-present

Basking surveys supporting overwintering analyses across Haliburton, northern Peterborough and the City of Kawartha Lakes.
Leads: Leora Berman, Grace Wiley and Karmin Macdonald. Special thanks to Meghan Ward.

Population Ecology, Road Density & Development | 2016-present

Long-term population ecology research spanning Haliburton County, Peterborough County, the City of Kawartha Lakes and portions of the District of Muskoka, examining turtle populations in relation to road density, landscape connectivity, habitat availability and development. The dataset represents a long-term study, with analyses beginning in 2025.
Initiated and led by: Leora Berman.
Research assistance: Kyle Miller, Al Lu and Esme Bachelor. Special thanks to Meghan Ward and Dr. Doug Armstrong

Blanding's Turtle Movement & Mark-Recapture | 2017-present

Long-term individual identification using plastron markings to investigate Blanding's Turtle movements and recapture. This is an ongoing research effort conducted under wildlife research permits.
Leads: Leora Berman, Jaime Kearnan and Grace Wiley.

Tiny Turtle Contest: Recruitment & Spring Emergence | 2018-present

Ongoing collection of community-generated data through our Tiny Turtle Contest, documenting Snapping Turtle nesting areas, recruitment and spring emergence.
Initiated and led by: Leora Berman.

Incubation Success & Developmental Anomalies | 2018-present

Long-term documentation of incubation activities, outcomes, hatching success and developmental anomalies through Turtle Guardians' regional nest excavation, incubation and hatchling-release program.
Program and research leadership, 2018-Present: Leora Berman, including staff and volunteer dispatch, coordination of the regional excavation program and development of the long-term program and dataset.
Incubation and data coordination: Krysten Bennett, Emma Russett and Nadia Pegliaro (2020–2023); Haley Davidson and Molly Ahmed (2024); and Darian Carpenter and Meadow Funkenhauser (2025) incubation and data management, documentation of egg implosions and in 2026 organization nest excavation and hatchling releases. Special Thanks to Michaela Bouffard (2025) for data management support and field staff mentorship.

Ecopassage Fencing Design & Field Trials | 2018-present

Design, development and field trials of Turtle Guardians' innovative durable and backfilled ecopassage exclusion and jump-out fencing system, including testing of prototype stability, durability and effectiveness.
Prototype designer and research lead: Leora Berman. The design was established in 2018, with development and field testing beginning in 2019 and continuing to the present.
We gratefully acknowledge the partnerships of the Haliburton County Roads Department, City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County Roads in supporting field applications and trials beginning in 2019.

Turtle Egg Implosions | 2022-present

Development of a preliminary hypothesis concerning turtle egg implosions began in 2022, followed by collection of preliminary data on egg implosions (2023, 2024, 2025) and mapping of aquatic calcium levels in 2025.
Research origin and lead: Leora Berman.
Incubation coordinators and team: contributed to ongoing observations and data collection.
Michaela Bouffard and Trent University (October 2024-January 2026): supported the development and implementation of the egg-implosion sampling protocol, data capture and management in 2025.

Midland Painted Turtle Movement & Photo Identification | 2023-present

Ongoing use of bridge-based photographic identification to investigate Midland Painted Turtle movements and support mark-recapture sampling.
Research design: Leora Berman, Jaime Kearnan and Grace Wiley.

Alternative Nesting Mound Pilot: Blanding's Turtles | 2023-present

Field testing of alternative nesting areas and nesting substrates for Blanding's Turtles.
Lead: Leora Berman.
Advisor: Kari Gunson, EcoKare Intl.

Snapping Turtle Overwintering Habitat & Water Levels | 2025-present

Ongoing investigation of overwintering habitat availability and the potential effects of changing water levels on Snapping Turtles.
Lead: Leora Berman.

Ecopassage Willingness-to-Use Study | Upcoming

Proposed post-installation research examining turtle willingness to use ecopassages and supporting evaluation of mitigation effectiveness and success following implementation.
Research proposal: Michaela Bouffard (2025) researched and drafted the proposed study.

Juvenile Turtle Responses to Exclusion Fencing | Proposed

Research arising from the discovery of two deceased juvenile turtles adjacent to exposed portions of ecopassage fencing in 2025. The proposed study will investigate whether juvenile turtles demonstrate behavioural hesitation in response to perceived or actual physical obstacles.
Research question: Leora Berman.
Lead: Open

Adult Turtle Movement & Anthropogenic Footprints | Pending

Proposed investigation of adult turtle movements in response to anthropogenic landscape features.
Leads: Dr. Sarah Jamieson and Leora Berman.

Hatchling Response to Pheromone Cues | Exploratory Study

An exploratory study investigated whether hatchling turtles demonstrated a detectable response to pheromone cues. The initial sampling design did not provide sufficient environmental control to reliably distinguish a response to the experimental cue from other environmental influences. The study therefore did not produce results suitable for drawing conclusions about pheromone response.
The trial did, however, provide useful lessons for future research, particularly regarding environmental controls, experimental isolation, crypsis, replication and the practical feasibility of conducting controlled behavioural trials within our available facilities. Future investigation would require a more controlled experimental environment and methodology capable of separating treatment effects from background environmental variables.
Hypothesis and research question: Leora Berman.
Initial sampling design: Michaela Bouffard.
Outcome: Exploratory trial; methodology determined to be insufficient for hypothesis testing.

Best Management Practices, Literature Reviews & Technical Resources | 2017-present

Turtle Guardians develops best management practices, technical guidance and research reviews based on published literature, long-term field experience and findings arising from our road ecology, nesting and mitigation work.
Leora Berman | 2017–present: Ecopassage specifications and installation guidance; Blanding's Turtle alternative nesting-mound BMPs; and BMPs for protecting turtle nests during routine road maintenance.
Sabrina Hasselfelt | 2019: Literature review of nesting-mound design, nesting preferences, and nest mound design best practices.
Angela VanderEyken | 2020-2021: Review of best practices in turtle road ecology; extensive review of potential ecopassage sites lending to the charity's final analysis.
Michaela Bouffard | 2024–2025: Review of HDPE use in road-threat mitigation designs; review comparing Turtle Guardians' existing low-cost ecopassage designs with conventional lateral fencing approaches; summary of ecopassage and nest mound best practices.

Turtle Guardians is committed to accurately recognizing intellectual contributions. Project histories, research roles and contributions are documented through our organizational archives.

Special Thanks

Since 2007, Leora Berman has led and coordinated Turtle Guardians' long-term research in turtle road ecology, nesting, incubation, movement, mortality and mitigation across Ontario's Highlands and surrounding regions. This work has included the development of research questions and scopes, field methodologies, monitoring protocols, ecopassage designs and testing, community science frameworks, and long-term datasets that continue to inform conservation action and applied mitigation.

Our research has been strengthened through the guidance, mentorship and collaboration of many valued experts and partners. We are especially grateful to Kari Gunson of Eco-Kare International, Jeff Hathaway of Scales Nature Park, and Dr. David Lean for sharing their expertise and advice over the years.

We also acknowledge the contributions of students, interns and emerging researchers through programs including U-Links and the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education, as well as an early partnership from 2011 to 2013 with the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Glenside Ecological Services to assess ecopassage potential in the Haliburton Highlands.

In 2026, we also acknowledge Stephan Kohout for ongoing research contributions related to legislative tools and policy pathways for turtle protection in Ontario.

Staff & Research Contributors

The following staff and team members have contributed to Turtle Guardians' research, monitoring, field implementation and data collection as part of our broader long-term research programs:

Kendra Chalmers, September 2010 to 2013
Jaime Kearnan, May 2017 to April 2022
Daniel Grenon, May 2017 to August 2022
Siena Smith, May 2017 to March 2023
Angela VanderEyken, May 2020 to August 2022
Kristyn Bennett, May 2020 to September 2022
Sabrina Hasselfelt, May to September 2021
Grace Wiley, May 2020 to January 2025
Ben Kemp, May 2021 to August 2024
Michaela Bouffard, April 2024 to January 2026
Meghan Ward, 2023 and 2024; October 2025 to May 2026
Kyle Miller, Darian Carpenter and Sarah Hutchison, January 2026 to present

Student Researchers

Esme Batchelor, 2025 to 2026
Karmin McDonald, 2025 to 2026

Turtle Guardians values the intellectual contributions of the staff, students, volunteers, advisors and collaborators who have contributed to our research. Research roles, project histories and contributions are documented through our organizational archives.

Notable Field Observations & Emerging Research Questions

Long-term field monitoring sometimes reveals unexpected patterns that raise new questions for research. Turtle Guardians documents these observations as they emerge, helping identify changes that may warrant further investigation.

Egg implosions: Beginning in 2022, Turtle Guardians documented an unusual pattern of turtle eggs collapsing or imploding during incubation. This led to an initial hypothesis involving limited environmental calcium availability in parts of Ontario's Highlands, potentially interacting with other environmental stressors such as contaminants or endocrine-disrupting compounds. Investigation is ongoing.
Spring emergence of Snapping Turtle hatchlings: Beginning in 2019, increasing numbers of spring-emerging Snapping Turtle hatchlings have been reported through our Tiny Turtle Contest platform, including observations from Ontario's Highlands. Some nests have also been excavated in spring. In some instances, emergence occurred under conditions that did not coincide with substantial snow cover, raising questions about the environmental conditions influencing overwintering and emergence.
Hatchling deformities: Beginning in 2023, we documented a notable number of developmental abnormalities among Snapping Turtle and Painted Turtle hatchlings, including more than 10 individuals with shortened or "stump" limbs. These observations are being documented alongside other incubation and reproductive anomalies to identify patterns and potential research questions.
Egg dropping during drought conditions: During the 2025 drought, we observed Snapping Turtles dropping eggs while moving across the landscape, in some cases while depositing only a small number of eggs successfully within a nest. The observations raise questions about whether dehydration, extreme temperatures or other physiological or environmental stresses may influence nesting behaviour and egg deposition.
Hatchling and juvenile mortality associated with exposed ecopassage arches: In 2025, hatchling and juvenile turtle mortality was documented adjacent to exposed portions of our ecopassage fencing following loss of backfill. The observation resulted in an immediate update to our best management practices emphasizing complete backfilling. It also generated a proposed research question examining whether young turtles are physically unable to negotiate certain obstacles or whether perceived barriers inhibit their movement.
Twinning and developmental abnormalities: In 2026, approximately 1.4% of eggs in our incubation program produced twins, alongside numerous developmental abnormalities observed among hatchlings. The apparent clustering of these reproductive and developmental anomalies has raised new questions about potential environmental influences. We are documenting and mapping these occurrences against the locations of previously observed egg implosions, as well as available water chemistry, and other environmental data, to investigate whether spatial or temporal patterns emerge. These analyses will help identify potential relationships and priorities for further investigation, including targeted contaminant and toxicological research.

Research Collaboration, Data Sharing & Attribution

Turtle Guardians and The Land Between maintain extensive long-term datasets and active research programs. Together with our research colleagues, we are advancing work on complex conservation questions that benefit from deeper analysis, specialized expertise and cross-institutional collaboration.

Beginning in 2025, we introduced a co-production model for collaborative research and began developing more formal frameworks for partnerships with universities and other research institutions.

Observations and findings arising through Turtle Guardians' long-term programs contribute to our broader research and monitoring efforts. Where staff, students or collaborators make distinct intellectual or research contributions, these are recognized and credited appropriately, including as separate or independent contributions where warranted.

We are developing collaborative frameworks and policies to guide data sharing, research partnerships, authorship, intellectual property and attribution. These are intended to recognize and respect contributions, uphold institutional and academic standards, and ensure reciprocal benefits for research partners, students and communities.

This work is being informed through consultation with universities, professors and disciplinary experts to support alignment with research ethics, authorship conventions, data stewardship expectations and funder requirements.

Our approach is grounded in transparency, accountability and fairness. As these frameworks are finalized, we will make our policies and research partnership opportunities publicly available to support strong, ethical and productive collaborations that advance turtle conservation and recovery.