PAGE 8 THE ACTON MONTHLY VOLUME I, ISSUE 9 Halton Hills Turtle Guardians working hard to ensure protection of turtles Early summer is a busy time of year for the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians as they work to ensure the safety of local turtles. According to Peter Duncanson, of the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians, they are in the midst of placing nest boxes as this is the time of year when turtles are laying their eggs. Nest boxes are designed to sit over the eggs, that are ina vulnerable area, to protect them from predators. The nest boxes constructed using 2x4’s, with an opening on one end, with wire screening on top, and are put in place with stakes hammered into the groun In some cases, where nest boxes cannot be used, such as the side of a road, Duncanson says they then have to get permission from the Ministry of Natural Resources in order to excavate the nest and move the eggs to a safer place. ‘Te hat ching, we have problems with, and depending on circumstances of the nest, under permit, we can an excavate hs seat, Turtles that lay on the sids of the Toad are.a big problem because we are not allowed to put nest boxes there, MTO won't allow it.” In addition to turtles laying eggs on i side of the road, comes the risk of them being hit by If you do see a turtle trying to cross the road, be sure to carry it in the direction that it is travelling, and if you see an injured turtle, the main thing to do is not to panic, reminds Duncanson. “We get the calls where there's a turtle on the road or a ting the turtle in a bin and. waiting for the taxi to arrive... It’s upsetting, but don’t panic.” To further prevent turtles getting hit on the road, Duncanson says the Town of Halton Hills an been working witht the group to install turtle crossis i Filly torwarn drivers to be on the okoutin arena siesta ara Kaan to caves th seal Duncanson notes another challenge that the Turtle Guardians face is protecting turtles from poachers, sh will either take them for the pet trade or for food purpos Poaching is an illegal act as mod pecs ara listed as “at risk” or “threatened” in Ont: As part of ensuring the turtle are protected it takes people power and the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians are always looking for more volunteers to help with protection efforts in Acton, Georgetown, and other areas across Halton Hills. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can reach out to the Halton Hills Turtle Guardians on Facebook. This is also where you can report turtle sightings, injuries, and other concerns. SEW CRAFT CREATE SEW PRODUCTIVE 519-853-000 Tuesday - Friday 10 am to 6 pm Saturday 10 am to 5 Sunday & Monday Closed sewproductive. ca