In Muskoka we love turtles. So much so that we have road signs indicating a turtle crossing area. If a turtle is spotted crossing Muskoka Road 169 near Bala, you may see a car on the side of the road or just stopped with flashers going and a person carefully lifting the turtle and taking it to the other side, or just protecting it until it gets where it needs to go. Some roads have tunnels under the road to allow them to travel in peace.

We also have volunteers who will collect turtle eggs and protect them until they hatch. About six weeks I think. Once they have hatched they will bring the baby turtles back to the pond mom came from or near and release the baby turtles back into water. Cool eh? That’s the extent of my turtle knowledge but I did take a wee video to share.

Every year in our neighborhood we watch mother turtles come out of the nearby pond and find a spot to bury their eggs. A call is made to Scales Nature Park https://www.scalesnaturepark.ca where they have a program in Parry Sound and Muskoka called Start https://www.scalesnaturepark.ca/conservation a program specific to turtle conservation. Below is the release back into the pond by the program along with some educational facts and some neighborhood comments. 🙂

Fun in the sun in Muskoka!