About Niagara Turtles
Niagara Turtles is a conservation group dedicated to protecting turtle populations across the Niagara region. Through nest monitoring, public reporting, and collaboration with conservation partners, the project helps protect turtles from threats such as road mortality, predators, flooding, and development.
Community observations play an important role in protecting wildlife.
Community reports help identify turtle nesting areas, road mortality hotspots, and important movement corridors. Collecting this information can support the installation of turtle crossing signs and help identify where eco-passageways or wildlife crossings may be needed.
Even deceased turtles provide important conservation information. Documenting road-killed turtles helps identify mortality hotspots, travel routes, and species presence. If safe to do so, dead turtles may be collected, bagged, location noted, and dropped off at the SPCA for pickup for research purposes. In partnership with qualified organizations and under appropriate wildlife authorizations, Niagara Turtles is able to assess deceased gravid (egg-bearing) females and, where viable eggs are present, carefully recover and incubate them to support hatchling survival and conservation.
Many turtle nests are lost to predators, flooding, construction, road maintenance, and habitat disturbance. In situations where a nest is vulnerable and less intrusive protection is not feasible, permitted conservation actions may allow eggs to be incubated to improve hatch success and hatchling survival.
Nests located in safe, natural habitat away from immediate threats are best left in place. These nests can still be protected using simple conservation measures such as:
Installing predator-exclusion nest cages
Clearly marking the nest location
Avoiding mowing, digging, or soil disturbance in the area
Monitoring the nest until hatchlings emerge
To learn more about Turtle Nests, Nest Protection and how to build your own Nest Protector Click here: How to Help a Nesting Turtle – Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre
Snapping Turtle
(Chelydra serpentina)
Midland Painted Turtle
(Chrysemys picta)
Northern Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica)
Blanding’s Turtle
(Emydoidea blandingii)
Spotted Turtle
(Clemmys guttata)
Spiny Softshell Turtle
(Apalone spinifera)
Eastern Musk Turtle
(Sternotherus odoratus)
Wood Turtle
(Glyptemys insculpta)
You can help by reporting turtle sightings, slowing down near wetlands and waterways, avoiding disturbance of nests, and sharing information with others in the community. Citizen observations help guide conservation action and improve understanding of local turtle populations.
Niagara Turtles welcomes support from residents, students, researchers, and conservation partners. Volunteer activities may include nest monitoring, turtle crossing surveys, habitat documentation, outreach, and public education.
Niagara Turtles 289-687-5106
Niagara Region, Ontario
Email: niagaraturtles@gmail.com
Niagara Turtles is a community-based conservation initiative working to protect turtles, nests, and habitat across the Niagara region.
Donations help support:
• nest protection and monitoring
• hatchling incubation supplies
• turtle crossing signage and conservation advocacy
• public education and outreach
• habitat documentation and research
• volunteer equipment and field materials
Your support helps improve survival rates for vulnerable turtle populations and contributes to long-term conservation efforts.
Thank you for helping protect turtles in the Niagara region!
