The tenth annual turtle release is set for later this summer at the Morrison Dam Conservation Area near Exeter.
The Huron Stewardship Council (HSC) and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) are joining other local partners for the annual event.
This year's turtle release will be Thursday, August 28 from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free and you can drop in to the event anytime. Anyone wishing to attend should register on Eventbrite here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/10th-annual-turtle-release-tickets-1353813064319
Attendees are encouraged to make a donation, as net proceeds directly help turtle conservation efforts in Ontario.
People can protect turtles by watching for turtles on roads when driving, helping them safely cross roads in the way they are headed, protecting nests from predators, and reporting turtle sightings to community monitoring projects.
The event has been held every year since 2016, with virtual events held in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.
"It’s amazing how many people have learned about turtles at this event," said Sheldon Paul, HSC Fieldwork Coordinator. "The event is a great way to educate the young and the young at heart about Ontario’s eight freshwater turtle species, which are all at risk."
"Turtles are important links in food webs and provide essential ecological services," said Hope Brock, Healthy Watersheds Specialist at ABCA. "Snapping turtles, for example, help to control aquatic vegetation and clean creeks and wetlands by eating algae and dead and decaying fish and other organisms. They also cycle nutrients and spread seeds which benefit other organisms. Preserving and creating habitat for turtles and other species is one of the most important things we can do to sustain our turtle species. There has been a huge increase in the interest in turtles and protecting turtles in our watershed, so I also want to thank people for these efforts. Thank you for your continued curiosity, for attending this event, and for your desire to help these at-risk animals."
To learn more visit the Huron Stewardship Council website https://www.huronstewardship.ca/, and the Ausable Bayfield Conservation turtles web page https://www.abca.ca/monitoring/plantsanimals/turtles, or email HSC huronstewardship@gmail.com.