MANITOULIN鈥擳he new Friends of 91性息港 Turtles group are trying to get 鈥榃atch for Turtles鈥� signage installed in places where turtles are predominant on 91性息港 and provide education to members of the public on how to protect turtles.
鈥淥ne of the first initiatives we decided we need to do is to install turtle crossing signage in areas where turtles are close to and travel across roads and highways,鈥� said Amelia Wood, a member of the new 鈥楩riends of鈥� group. 鈥淲e now have two signs located at the area of Newburn Road in Kagawong where there is a lot of turtle mortality. From the hill down to the swamp area on the side of the road is a death trap for animals, and we have a sign going up soon at Highway 6 at the boundary of Assiginack township.鈥�
The two signs in Kagawong were unveiled last week. 鈥淭his is a great ecosystem and habitat for many species, like turtles, deer, bear, reptiles and invertebrates,鈥� said Billings Mayor Bryan Barker. 鈥淎nd turtles will travel across the road or lay their eggs on the shoulder of the road. This signage is a great initiative to try and protect the turtles and their eggs. Billings township is happy to be part of this initiative.鈥�
鈥淭he signage has been donated by Theodore Flamand, coordinator of the Wiikwemkoong Species at Risk program,鈥� said Ms. Wood. Billings provided the hardware for mounting the signs and the posts. She pointed out the Friends of group is fundraising to install permanent signage, and Mayor Barker encouraged her group to send a letter to Billings council requesting support for this.
鈥淲e want to educate people on turtles, as there is a lot of misinformation out there on them,鈥� said Ms. Wood. 鈥淲e want to provide information to the public on how to identify and get to know the four species of turtles we have locally on the Island, Blanding turtles, common snapping turtles and midland painted. Those three species are found on the land and live in ponds the majority of the time. Northern Map Turtle can be found on the big water, and the biggest risk to them and their eggs is with boats.鈥�
As humans, 鈥渨e鈥檝e built infrastructure that has impacted wetlands and in turn turtles,鈥� said Ms. Wood. 鈥淭urtles are wanderers, and their populations have been knocked down significantly over the past 200 years. They were here before the dinosaurs.鈥�
Ms. Wood pointed out the Friends of 91性息港 Turtles group actually started, 鈥渋n January of last year we held our first Zoom meeting, and we have been meeting by Zoom almost every month since. We had a booth set up last week at the 91性息港 Streams Outdoor Angling Trade Fair and it was the first time that everyone in our group actually met.鈥� 鈥淩ight now, we are at six members and we are always looking for more to join our group. And now that we are getting out, volunteering to man booths at events like the trade fair, we can provide displays of different turtles, provide information on them, and display nest protectors for turtles,鈥� said Ms. Wood.聽
鈥淭he formation of our group all started last year through Mr. Flamand. He鈥檚 been doing a lot of work in Wiikwemkoong involving turtles and expressed an interest in getting groups started for all of 91性息港 Island,鈥� said Ms. Wood.
鈥淥ur members are located across the Island, representing various committees,鈥� said Ms. Wood, noting that Mr. Flamand stepped back a bit, 鈥渂ut is still providing the friends of group with a lot of background support and information. He has been tremendously helpful through all of this.鈥�
Ms. Wood said the building of turtle mounds are very important to attract turtles to build their nests, keep them off roads/highways and provide a safe area for them to lay and nest their eggs. 鈥淭here are a lot of options for building turtle mound areas. The challenge is 91性息港 Island lands are all privately owned. But landowners can provide areas to attract turtles and keep them on their properties (instead of potentially fatally crossing roads and highways.鈥� She pointed out that once turtles lay their eggs, there are nest protectors available that protect them and their eggs. 鈥淲iikwemkoong has several nesting enclosures at Prairie Pointe Marsh using chicken wire with gravel at the base. There was one built in Sheshegwaning First Nation last year and another is slated to be constructed in Zhiibaahaasing First Nation this or next year.鈥�
Homeowners can also build turtle mounds to attract them to lay their eggs there, as well as nest enclosures on their property that will keep turtles from travelling on the road.
鈥淲e are working with Whitefish River First Nation (WRFN) and PhD candidate Reta Meng under Dr. Patricia Chow Fraser, who are allowing us to share their data collection for turtle sightings, and road kills, for future remedies.鈥�
On the Friends of 91性息港 Turtles site May 26 it is explained, 鈥淚f you see a turtle on the road, we want to know! If you see a dead turtle or any other dead animal, we want to know that too.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 as easy as 1, 2, 3. 1. See a turtle, alive or dead, or any other dead animal. Answer the questions (on the survey) and hit Submit.鈥�
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have the time to do it right when you see the animal, that鈥檚 okay! Submissions can be added at any time,鈥� the site explains. 鈥淢cMaster University and Whitefish River First Nation are gathering data along Highway 6 and on 91性息港 Island to help us all gain a better understanding of the impacts roadways have on wildlife. This research may be used to help identify locations for wildlife crossing signs or other measures. 鈥�
鈥淔riends of 91性息港 Turtles loves to hear about turtles. If you see a turtle and don鈥檛 know if you should use the survey, or you just want to share a cool turtle encounter, email us at manitoulinturtles@gmail.com, or shoot us a private message on Facebook.鈥�
