Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority's Annual Turtle Hatchling Release Event Takes Place On Thursday

by Bob Montgomery

The Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority's Annual Turtle Hatchling Release will be held this Thursday at the Morrison Dam just south of the Conservation Authority's office.

Healthy Watershed Technician Hope Brock says this is the ninth year for the Hatchling Relase and it had become a very popular event before COVID forced them to make it a virtual event for a couple of years, but Brock says the numbers are coming back now.

Brock says the biggest threat to turtles is loss of habitat and a close second is road mortality, which often results in loss of habitat. She says the most dangerous times of the year for road mortality are in June, when the turtles are leaving their home in the water and are looking for a place to nest, and then this time of year when the hatchlings are leaving the nest and trying to get back to the water. Brock says turtles don't know a lot about the risk involved in crossing the road at night as opposed to crossing during the days and they're very small and difficult for motorists to see. Brock says turtles will cross the road whenever they feel the need to do that so they rely on education and turtle crossing signs to make motorists aware of the areas where turtles are most like going to be crossing the road.

They have about one hundred hatchlings to release on Thursday, mostly Snapping Turtles and a few Painted Turtles. “The plan is to release a few turtles every twenty minutes or so between one and four in the afternoon, so people can come out between one and four and see the hatchlings being released and making their way back to their natural habitat.”

Brock says they'll also have live reptiles on display as well as activities like crafts and educational displays so there'll be lots for people to see and do at the Morrison Dam this Thursday. It is a free event but they are accepting donations that will go towards Ontario Turtle Conservation. More information can be found on the Ausable Bayfield Conservation website.

Photo courtesy of the Asauble Bayfield Conservation Authority