Research
Road Ecology, Population Trends & Emerging Threats
Turtle Guardians conducts applied research to understand what threatens turtle populations and what can help them recover. Our long-term field programs track road mortality, survival and recruitment. We study turtle movement and habitat use across multiple species, including species at risk (SAR), and examine where roads interrupt those movements. We also investigate nesting and reproduction, including egg viability, sudden egg collapse, hatching success and hatchling deformities.
When we see an unexpected pattern, we document it, review the available science and develop questions we can test. We design field studies, collect and manage our own data, and use GIS to examine patterns across populations and landscapes. We lead some studies ourselves and develop others with university researchers and specialists in statistics, toxicology and laboratory analysis. What we learn helps us and others identify where conservation action is needed and what to investigate next.
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.
Turtle Egg Collapse & Hatchling Deformities
During nest monitoring and excavation in 2021-2022, Turtle Guardians founder Leora Berman observed turtle eggs rapidly collapsing inward shortly after they were uncovered, sometimes following a faint crackling sound. Nests examined in other areas on the same days showed no such collapse.
In 2022 and 2023, Turtle Guardians trialled misting eggs after excavation to see whether a sudden change in moisture could explain the collapse. We also checked for rapid temperature changes after the eggs were uncovered. In 2023, we began systematically documenting the phenomenon, and in 2024 we began seeking scientific partners to investigate it.
In 2026, we observed no egg collapse. We did record hatchling deformities in some of the same areas where eggs had collapsed in earlier years. We are now investigating correlations between these patterns and characteristics of the sites where they were observed.
Turtle Guardians is working with researchers at the University of Manitoba to test our hypothesis.
Mark Recapture and Movement
Turtle Guardians maintains one of Canada’s longest-running turtle road ecology datasets. Since 2017, we’ve monitored dedicated patrol routes annually, using standardized protocols to record species, location, mortality and body condition.
Current analyses compare biomass and age-class structure across species, areas and landscapes. We also examine population trends over time and differences across primary, secondary and tertiary roads, accounting for landscape connectivity and habitat availability. Ongoing analyses explore the cumulative impacts of roads on turtle populations to inform conservation and recovery.
The dataset helps identify nesting areas, road mortality hotspots and key wildlife crossings, guiding ecopassage placement, road stewardship and targeted conservation actions. It also provides background data for Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) 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
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
Nearly two decades of field observation, monitoring and experimentation have shaped Turtle Guardians’ research. This archive records when projects began, who initiated and led them, and how staff, students, volunteers, advisors and partners contributed.
- Blanding’s Turtle Relative Abundance | 2007–present. Assessment of relative abundance across The Land Between. Initiated and led by Leora Berman.
- Turtle Mortality Hotspots & Mitigation Priorities | 2010–present. Identification of mortality hotspots across The Land Between, assessment of mitigation options, and ongoing evaluation of ecopassage feasibility and priority. Leads Leora Berman, Kendra Chalmers, Daniel Grenon and Kyle Miller.
- Basking & Overwintering Surveys | 2016–present. Basking surveys that inform overwintering research in 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 study of turtle populations in relation to road density, connectivity, habitat availability and development in Haliburton and Peterborough counties, Kawartha Lakes and parts of Muskoka. Analysis began in 2025. Initiated and led by Leora Berman, with research assistance from Kyle Miller, Al Lu and Esme Bachelor. Special thanks to Meghan Ward and Dr. Doug Armstrong.
- Blanding’s Turtle Movement & Mark–Recapture | 2017–present. Ongoing research under wildlife research permits using plastron markings to identify individuals and track movement and recaptures. Leads Leora Berman, Jaime Kearnan and Grace Wiley.
- Tiny Turtle Contest | 2018–present. Community-generated records of Snapping Turtle nesting areas, recruitment and spring emergence. Initiated and led by Leora Berman.
- Incubation Success & Developmental Anomalies | 2018–present. Long-term records of incubation outcomes, hatching success and developmental anomalies from Turtle Guardians’ regional nest excavation, incubation and hatchling-release program. Program and research lead Leora Berman, who developed the program and dataset, coordinates regional excavation and dispatches staff and volunteers. 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). Team contributions included egg-implosion documentation and coordination of nest excavation and hatchling releases in 2026. Special thanks to Michaela Bouffard (2025) for data management support and field staff mentorship.
- Ecopassage Fencing Design & Field Trials | 2018–present. Leora Berman designed the prototype in 2018 and leads the research. Development and field testing began in 2019 and continue to assess the stability, durability and effectiveness of the backfilled exclusion and jump-out fencing system. The road departments of Haliburton County, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Peterborough County have supported field applications and trials since 2019.
- Turtle Egg Implosions | 2022–present. Leora Berman originated and leads the research. Preliminary hypothesis development began in 2022, followed by data collection in 2023–2025 and mapping of aquatic calcium levels in 2025. Incubation coordinators and staff contributed observations and data. During their involvement from October 2024 to January 2026, Michaela Bouffard and Trent University supported the development and implementation of the sampling protocol and data collection and management in 2025.
- Midland Painted Turtle Movement & Photo Identification | 2023–present. Bridge-based photographic identification to study movement and support mark–recapture sampling. Research design Leora Berman, Jaime Kearnan and Grace Wiley.
- Alternative Nesting Mound Pilot for Blanding’s Turtles | 2023–present. Field trials of alternative nesting areas and substrates. Lead Leora Berman. Technical advisor Kari Gunson, Eco-Kare International.
- Snapping Turtle Overwintering Habitat & Water Levels | 2025–present. Investigation of overwintering habitat availability and the potential effects of changing water levels. Lead Leora Berman.
- Ecopassage Willingness-to-Use Study | Upcoming. Proposed post-installation study of whether turtles use ecopassages and how that informs evaluation of mitigation effectiveness. Proposal researched and drafted by Michaela Bouffard (2025).
- Juvenile Turtle Responses to Exclusion Fencing | Proposed. After two juvenile turtles were found dead beside exposed fencing in 2025, Leora Berman proposed studying how juveniles respond to actual or perceived barriers, including whether they hesitate. Study lead open.
- Adult Turtle Movement & Human-Made Landscape Features | Pending. Proposed study of how adult turtles respond to human-made features in the landscape. Leads Dr. Sarah Jamieson and Leora Berman.
- Hatchling Responses to Pheromone Cues | Exploratory trial. Research question and hypothesis Leora Berman. Initial sampling design Michaela Bouffard. The trial lacked the environmental controls needed to distinguish responses to the cue from other influences. It identified what future trials would need to address, including experimental isolation, crypsis, replication and the feasibility of controlled testing in available facilities.
Project histories, research roles and contributions are documented in Turtle Guardians’ organizational records.
Special Thanks
Since 2007, Leora Berman has led and coordinated Turtle Guardians’ long-term research on turtle road ecology, nesting, incubation, movement, mortality and mitigation across Ontario’s Highlands and surrounding regions. This work includes developing research questions, study scopes, field methods, monitoring protocols, ecopassage designs and field trials, community science frameworks and long-term datasets that guide conservation and mitigation.
We thank 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 recognize our partnership with the Haliburton Highlands Land Trust and Glenside Ecological Services from 2011 to 2013 to assess potential ecopassage sites in the Haliburton Highlands.
We gratefully acknowledge the students, interns and emerging researchers who have contributed through U-Links and the Trent Centre for Community-Based Education. We also thank Stephan Kohout for his ongoing research in 2026 on legislative tools and policy pathways for turtle protection in Ontario.
Incubation & Hatchling Release Coordination
Special thanks to the team members who coordinated incubation and hatchling releases.
- Meredith Karcz (2018 to 2020)
- Kristyn Bennett and Nadia Pagliaro (2020 to 2022)
- Emma Russett (2023)
- Molly Ahmed, Haley Davidson and Michaela Dupuis (2024)
- Meadow Funkenhauser and Darian Carpenter (2025)
- Darian Carpenter, Sarah Hutchison and Ava Smith (2026)
Staff & Research Contributors
These team members contributed to our long-term research through monitoring, field implementation and data collection.
- 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, and 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 recognizes the intellectual contributions of staff, students, volunteers, advisors and collaborators. Our organizational archives document project histories, research roles and individual contributions.
Research Collaboration, Data Sharing & Attribution
Turtle Guardians and The Land Between maintain long-term datasets and active research programs. In 2025, we introduced a co-production model to develop studies with universities and other research partners.
Our standards for data sharing, intellectual property, authorship and attribution draw on academic research practices. They guide how we share research materials, recognize the origins of research questions, data, methods and designs, and credit staff, students and collaborators for their specific contributions.
We are developing more formal partnership frameworks with input from university researchers and other specialists.