Hello everybody, our field team will be tracking 19 juvenile Blanding’s Turtles at our field site: 9 are wild hatched juveniles, 8 are head started juveniles (hatched and reared at the centre), 2 are translocated juveniles (turtles that were injured near the field site (hit by car etc.) and released into the field site when they were healthy and ready to go). The field team is excited to meet the individual turtles, spend time in the variety of habitats these turtles live within and see many neat flora and fauna species along the way!
My name is April, I am a graduate of Fleming Colleges Fish and Wildlife Technology Program and I have just recently finished my B.Sc. (majoring in Biology) at Trent University. I love to be outdoors, and I love all of the critters! I have volunteered at the OTCC on and off from September 2018 and I worked as a part of the OTCC field team last year. I loved it so much that I came back for another awesome field season! My favourite part of the field season is being able to interact with a variety of turtle species and getting to see so many interesting flora and fauna species. I am very excited for the season to begin!
April’s favourite Ontario turtle species is: Eastern Musk Turtle
My name is Lisa, I have a B.Sc. degree from Trent University (majoring in Biology & Environmental Science) and have recently completed a diploma in Ecosystem Management Technology from Fleming College. I have volunteered with the OTCC for 2 years, cleaning and feeding turtles. The past 2 summers I have worked as a field technician for the Species at Risk team with the MNRF doing reptile wading surveys and bat trapping and tracking. I am looking forward to working with the OTCC this summer to learn more about their research and to be a part of achieving their conservation goals!
Lisa’s favourite Ontario turtle species is: Spotted Turtle
My name is Tyler, I am a recent graduate of the Fish and Wildlife Technology program at Sir Sandford Fleming College. In the fall I will be attending Trent University’s biology program with a conservation biology specialization. I am wildly passionate about the conservation of our native flora and fauna, especially species at risk. When I was younger, I spent countless hours searching for reptiles and amphibians and in recent years not much has changed. Much of my time outdoors is spent searching for herps, with the best experience of my life being a recent trip to Costa Rica to do specifically that. It is because of this lifelong passion for herps that I hope to dedicate my career to the study and conservation of our native reptiles and amphibians. I am beyond excited to be able to contribute to the conservation efforts of the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre as part of the field team, as I believe that research and rehabilitation efforts of the centre are vital to the continued survival of native turtle species in Ontario.
Tyler’s favourite Ontario turtle species is: Common Snapping Turtle
Hello everyone! My name is Anna, and I am a recent graduate from Trent University with an Honours Bachelor degree in Biology, and specialization in Conservation Biology. I am continuing my education at Trent next year in the Master of Bioenvironmental Monitoring and Assessment graduate program next Fall. I began volunteering at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Center in January 2019 as a turtle tank cleaner. Giving me the chance to see and fall in love with all species of turtles, from tiny painted turtle hatchlings to large adult snapping turtles. In the picture above there is a painted turtle that had snuck into my canoe after I left it unattended for about 20 minutes. They are such a charismatic and funny species. I have a love for the outdoors, especially wetlands and all creatures that dwell within them. Especially turtles! Which is why I am thrilled to be part of the OTCC field team this year and get the chance to work outside with such extraordinary animals!
Anna’s favourite Ontario turtle species is: Blanding’s Turtle
