Volunteer with Turtle Watch
With spring in the air, it won’t be long before the turtles of Dundas are on the move. Volunteers are needed to keep local snapping turtles and painted turtles safe throughout their nesting journey in the spring, and as the hatchlings return to their watery homes over the summer.
Dundas Turtle Watch (DTW) volunteers will walk with a partner on both flat and uneven terrain to monitor roads and off-road locations from May to October. Volunteers must be able to commit to two hours per week and can choose between shifts in early morning or evening. Teams gather at the Hamilton Air Force Association on King Street East in Dundas to begin and end patrols.
Tracking these hot spots is important to help advocate for more protection as well as traffic control
Dundas Turtle Watchers assist turtles to cross busy roads, or if injured, get them to a trauma centre for care. An important role in the spring involves the careful covering of turtle nests so that predators such as racoons and foxes do not steal the eggs. Volunteers also help by collecting data to track turtles and other wildlife that is killed on local roadways. Tracking these hot spots is important to help advocate for more protection as well as traffic control. As the eggs hatch over the summer, lucky volunteers will move the tiny turtles to a suitable and safe location nearby for release.
Contact Information: If you are at least 18 years old and a nature lover and would like to contribute some time and energy to a great cause, please send an email (include your name and phone number) to:
Dundas Turtle Watch at: dundasturtlewatch08@gmail.com, or phone: 905-627-8917 between 5 pm and 9 pm.New applicants will be screened and volunteers will receive training in early May.