HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-08-19, Page 88 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Huron Stewardship Council Release
Snapping Turtle Hatchlings
Hatchlings rescued from female turtle killed by
vehicle on road are released in Wingham in
honour of Julie Sawchuk who was left paralyzed after
being struck by a car while cycling
Last summer, the Huron Steward-
ship Council (HSC) received a phone
call from local high school teacher,
mother and athlete, Julie Sawchuk.
On her way to work Julie had noticed
a Snapping Turtle that had been hit
by a vehicle on the road. She wanted
to help so she contacted HSC. The
turtle had been so badly hit that it
had to be euthanized. Fortunately,
HSC was able to remove a few dozen
eggs from this snapping turtle. After
two months of incubation at a
licensed rearing facility the snapping
turtles began to hatch. HSC staff
released the hatchlings into Wing -
ham waters in September with Julie's
biology students. It was a rewarding
learning experience for all.
One year later, Julie was involved
in another road collision. This one
much more tragic. On July 29, 2015
Julie was struck from behind while
cycling a triathlon practice run in
Huron County. Julie has been left
paralyzed from the chest down.
On August 19 the HSC will be
releasing dozens of snapping tur-
tles at Wingham River Flats Ecolog-
ical Park in honour of Julie. The
park can be accessed by the North
Entrance trail on Victoria Street
West. The message of this year's
release will be to Share the Road
with wildlife and cyclists. Some of
the snapping turtles hatchlings that
will be released came from eggs
rescued from dead female turtles
who was struck by a car on the road
while travelling to a suitable place
on land to lay their eggs. Other eggs
were collected from nests that were
laid in harm's way such as the
shoulder of roads or driveways.
One of the hatchlings that will be
released will be named after Julie.
This hatchling's mother was killed
on the road. Out of all 39 eggs, Julie
was the only turtle that hatched out
of its egg. Like that little turtle, Julie
is a survivor. The public is invited
to join HSC at this release event.
When someone finds a turtle
crossing a road there are safe ways
for that person to help the turtle go
on in the direction they are headed.
How do you correctly help a turtle
cross the road? Never pick up a tur-
tle by their tail as this can damage
their spine. Always move them in
the direction they are headed. You
may grab a Snapping Turtle near
the back of the shell. You may also
use blankets, towels, shovels and
car mats to transport the turtle
across the road. A video about safe
turtle transport, posted by Toronto
Zoo Adopt -a -Pond, is online at:
youtube.com/watch?v=Lgd_
B6iKPxU
Each year, from May to July, many
of Ontario's freshwater turtles leave
the safety of their wetlands, creeks
or rivers. They do this as they make
a trek in search of sites that are fit to
nest. No area of land in southern
Ontario is more than 1.5 km from a
road. That means turtles are likely to
cross a road when they need to
make this nesting journey. Road
mortality is one of the biggest
threats facing turtles. Another rea-
son is the loss of the habitat turtles
need, in order to live.
Habitat destruction, poaching,
and road mortality are all factors
leading to the decline of turtles
globally. Adult females are the most
likely to be killed. They are vulnera-
ble to mortality as they are the ones
that have to leave the water to find a
suitable place to lay their eggs. In
the process, they have to cross sev-
eral roads and many are hit by cars.
Turtles are one of the most
threatened groups of animals on
the planet. They have few offspring
each year. This is called low fecun-
dity. Turtles also have delayed sex-
ual maturity. Some turtles do not
start reproducing until they are
25 -years -old. Very few juvenile tur-
tles or hatchlings survive. Fewer
than one in 100 turtles survive to
adulthood. On the other hand,
adult turtles have almost no natural
predators other than humans. They
also have a long reproductive rate,
producing offspring until they die.
Reminder!
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LABOUR DAY,
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advertising deadline
for the Wed., Sept.9
issue is
THURS., SEPT. 3
AT 2PM
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8 Main St., Seaforth 519-527-0240
The local health of land and water
depends on having diverse animals
that each plays a role to keep that
eco -system healthy. The turtle is a
vital part of that system. Turtles help
to control aquatic vegetation. Tur-
tles serve as scavengers. This means
they help clean our creeks and wet-
lands by eating dead and decaying
fish and other organisms.
There are eight native turtle spe-
cies in Ontario. Seven of those spe-
cies are at risk The Snapping Turtle
is one of those species at risk It takes
a long time for most turtles to reach
maturity. Mature turtles may live for
many decades but turtles reproduce
at a low rate. When a mother turtle
dies, or any adult turtle dies, there is
an impact on the future of the spe-
cies. A Snapping Turtle would need
to lay about 1,400 eggs in her life-
time, on average, for just one of her
offspring to survive to adulthood.
Saving even one adult by safely help-
ing it across the road, or taking an
injured turtle, or a turtle carrying
eggs, to awildlife custodian, can help
to conserve that species.
If a turtle is on the road and unin-
jured, move it across the road in the
direction it was heading. If you find
an injured turtle, it needs help and
can be taken to a wildlife custodian.
Make sure you put the turtle into a
ventilated container (without water)
and call an expert for help. There are
a number of wildlife rehabilitation
centres that will take injured turtles
(see list below). Even if the turtle
cannot be saved an expert can
remove the eggs in order to save her
offspring. Make sure you record the
location you found the injured ani-
mal so it can be released back into
it's local waters.
WINDBREAK MAINTENANCE DEMO
Thursday August 27th
6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
41892 Summerhill Rd., Central Huron
FREE! Topics include:
• Benefits of windbreaks
• Maintaining a mature windbreak
• Pruning and thinning techniques
• Impact on crop yields
For information:
[T] 519-335-3557
[W] www.mvca.on.ca
[E] edolmage@mvca.on.ca
Rain date is Thurs. Sept. 10
aiJC
Lawny.
Complete Landscape Services
Maitland
AV CONSERVATION