Turtle Tias continue lending helping hand to reptile neighbours

September 4, 2020 · 0 Comments

Nearly 40 nesting cages and several turtles on the move have kept Aurora’s Turtle Tias busy since May. The group of five, who call themselves “Turtle Tias”, continue to work long, arduous hours with the help of a few other volunteers to ensure the safety of the Snapping Turtles and Painted Turtles that call Aurora home.

“This has been an incredibly busy season so far, with lots of activity and more nests than we’ve seen in past years. Our peak month was June, and our goal then was to keep the adult females safe, particularly on the busy roads, and to install nesting cages to stop predators digging up and eating the eggs,” said Wendy Kenyon, one of the Tias and Vice President of the Henderson Forest Aurora Ratepayer Association.

Thanks to their efforts, over 30 nesting cages are being monitored along Henderson Drive, close to Salamander Pond, and the wetland area on the north side of the road. Nine other cages are located along the trail system on the east side of Town and in the Arboretum.

“We’re preparing for hatchling season which, due to the extreme heat, could begin any day now. We’re regularly monitoring the nesting cages and, once the hatchlings start arriving, we’ll be patrolling the nests every couple of hours from dawn until dusk to make sure the hatchlings don’t escape onto the road. Our goal is to get the hatchlings safely to the nearest wetland. From that point, they’re on their own but at least we’ve given them a head start!” explained Kenyon, who has lived in Aurora for 19 years.

The five Aurora residents – Pippette Eibel, Flo Leava, Rebecca Prins, Maricella Sauceda and Wendy Kenyon – have devoted countless hours of monitoring to keeping the nests safe, in rain and shine, at daytime and in the night. “We’re a small but committed group of five core volunteers, with others we can call upon when extra help is needed. We have one resident, Irene, who offers her services as a ‘turtle taxi’ and is happy to transport turtles in need of medical attention,” said Kenyon. “We are also joined by volunteers like Julian, Sabrina and Eva, who are happy to learn and help out.”

Road traffic is a major threat to turtles so the Tias spend a lot of time trying to keep the adult females safe during nesting season when they’re crossing busy roads to get to their nesting sites. “It takes 59 years and about 1,500 eggs for one adult female to be replaced in the population so every one of these mammas is critical to their survival. Turtles are pre-programmed to return to the same area year after year so, sadly, a busy road like Henderson Drive is no deterrent for a determined female. We carefully monitor the nesting females, making sure they’re not disturbed, and then when they’re finished, we make sure they return safely to the nearest wetland. Nesting cages are installed as soon as possible to protect the nests from predators,” said Kenyon.

The Turtle Tias also patrol the area to make sure no one is taking any turtles home. Kenyon and her fellow Tias believe it’s all about educating people.

“It’s sad to say but there are a few people who want to take them home as pets. These are wild animals and need to be in their natural habitat from the very beginning to learn about how to survive in their environment. Denying them that critical learning experience can severely compromise their ability to survive. Since Snapping Turtles can live for over a hundred years and grow very large, they are not appropriate pets. Besides, it’s illegal.”

Last year, the Turtle Tias successfully released 140 turtle Snapping Turtle hatchlings. “This year, we’re anticipating more, but so much depends on how well we can continue to protect the nests from predators, even with cages installed. It’s a sad fact that less than 1 per cent of turtle eggs reach adulthood but at least we can increase those odds,” Kenyon pointed out.

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking root earlier this year, matters changed altogether. An upside was that the community became more engaged in the turtles’ well-being.

“They alerted us when turtles were in danger, like when they were attempting to cross a busy road or when they were injured. Far more people have been out walking these past five months and that’s helped us keep a communal eye on our reptilian friends,” said Kenyon, admitting that locals have been uplifted by being part of something positive during these particularly dark times.

With greater interest, there has been a downside too as some people get too close to nesting females. “We realize it’s exciting to watch but what they likely don’t know is how stressful it is for these nesting mammas when they’re disturbed laying their clutch. In some cases, they’ll abandon the process altogether which can prove fatal. We’re trying to educate as and when we can and most people are very understanding once they know why we’re asking them to keep a certain distance.”

Being a turtle volunteer isn’t a glamourous job – its hard work. But it’s rewarding too. As Kenyon points out, “The sight of a tiny hatchling emerging from the ground or a magnificent adult female slowly making her way back to the wetland after successfully laying her clutch makes everything so worthwhile.”

By Kinjal Dagli Shah