Wildlife Road Watch 2023

Get ready for the second annual Wildlife Road Watch program in Norfolk County!

As part of the Long Point Walsingham Forest Priority Place road ecology initiative, we are inviting interested volunteers to patrol roads for turtle crossings from June 1st through to July 15th.

You will learn how to help turtles cross the road safely and how to document your observations to contribute to our conservation efforts!

Click here to contact us !!!!

Unfortunately, turtles consider our gravel roadsides a fantastic place to lay their eggs, which puts them – and their hatchlings – at serious risk of being struck by vehicles.

All eight of our threatened turtle species take up to 20 years before they’re old enough to breed, and this long adolescence means that the loss of any nesting female to roadside collisions is a major blow to the population. And we want to prevent as many losses as we can.

Thanks to previous efforts from our citizen scientists, we have identified two areas as major turtle hotspots where we know they are crossing roads to nest. These locations are where we can do the most good for our scaly friends.

We need volunteers to patrol two stretches of road where you may have seen a turtle sign:

·        Front Road by the Turkey Point marsh

·        Erie Boulevard on Long Point

Last year our WRW volunteers were able to safeguard 19 turtles over just three days of road surveys, and our superstar, John Everett, helped 67 turtles cross roads from spring to fall.

Please watch this video overview to find out more. Contact us to get one-on-one training and we will assign you your patrol areas that fit within your schedule!

Click here to contact us

Kari Gunson
Kari Gunson

Kari Gunson, a practitioner in road ecology since 1999, initiated the 'Wildlife on Roads' program recently in response to a need to inspire and harness grassroots efforts for implementation of mitigation solutions.

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