Every day at the OTCC is unique and eventful, especially being a part of the Education and Outreach Program. This summer I had the privilege of working as a summer student with the program and a typical day of mine would go a little something like this… 9am : The OTCC Education Building is [...]
Hello everyone! My name is Robyn Bell, and I am currently a second year Bachelor of Education student at Trent University in Peterborough. I began volunteering with the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTTC), specifically their Education and Outreach program, as a part of my alternative practicum placement. I knew that the OTCC would be [...]
There are many things that can go wrong and tamper with our day, things that can make getting through a day a lot harder than it needs to be. And, sometimes, there are what we like to call “The Little Things”. These are the things that help bring a smile to our face after [...]
Sometimes words can't express what our eyes can see and our hearts feel...enjoy these beautiful moments captured at our field site by one of our field crew members, Kelton.
You don't, snapping turtles will do that for you! Seriously! My fascination with the snapping turtle began many years ago. I'd spot them floating with their carapace just breaking the surface of the water, catching rays of the sun. This helps to bring their body temperature up to that optimum, comfortable temperature needed for their [...]
The quaking bog, my favourite type of wetland to work in. It ripples when stepped on as a soft Sphagnum layer starts to sink underfoot. This is a landscape of moss, pitcher plants, shrubs and cotton grass fields; darted with stunted tamaracks. Deep channels have been carved around the edges the bog as it shifts [...]
It’s that time of year again! Turtles all over Ontario are on the move, looking for mates, nesting sites, or maybe just a different habitat. Now is the time for everyone to be more careful and watch the road for anything that could be a turtle (and remember they can look a lot like [...]
Weighing a snapping turtle - summer, 2010 Almost a decade ago, while studying at Fleming College, one of my classmates talked a lot about an organization she volunteered for that focused on the rehabilitation of native turtles. The organization was then called Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre and had recently moved to a location [...]
Did you know that the OTCC monitors turtles in natural habitats? It’s true! On top of the work we do in turtle rehabilitation and education, for the last several years we’ve been sending a crew of technicians into some of Ontario’s wetlands for the summer. This is part of a study comparing the health [...]
Join us Thursday July 21st for KTTC's first ever outdoor movie night featuring the animated new release, Zootopia! Drop in from 8 to 9 pm to tour our visitor center, meet our education turtles and have all your turtlely questions answered. The movie will be starting at 9 pm in our backyard outdoor education center, [...]
June 30, 2016 By: Megan Miller - Lead Field Technician OTCC So I landed my summer dream job this year. For the past month I've been tracking Blandings turtles for a headstart program with the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (formally known as the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre). I've been volunteering with this nonprofit for a [...]
As a boom of thunder rolled across the lake, the first day of the work week had come to an end. I had never yearned for a heavy rain so intensely before in my life as I had when I saw the first signs of the coming storm. For weeks previous to the deluge, the [...]
