If you’re planning one last road trip in Ontario before summer wraps up, you might want to consider adding this provincial park to your itinerary, where you’ll find an adorable conservation project that’s created tunnels just for turtles.
Located along the north shore of Lake Ontario near Brighton, about a two-hour drive from Toronto, Presqu’ile Provincial Park is home to five species of turtles and has introduced features to protect the small creatures from their biggest threat: traffic.
Every spring and summer, turtles make the long journey across the park to reach their nesting areas. To help get them there safely, the park has installed roadside fencing that guides turtles toward two tunnels running beneath the roadway, to reduce the risk of vehicle collisions.
According to The Friends of Presqu’ile Park group, encounters with automobiles have become the greatest single threat to turtle survival at the park. The group notes that after low fencing was installed along the roadside on the main road, and the two tunnels were erected, mortality has decreased dramatically among the park’s turtles.
The park is home to Common Snapping Turtles, Midland Painted Turtles, Blanding’s Turtles, as well as smaller populations of Map and Stinkpot (Musk) Turtles.
As part of its conservation effort, the park has also built special gravel nursery beds, which are easily accessible when the turtles come out of the water in June to lay their eggs.
Before the soft mounds were installed, turtles were making their nests in the gravel shoulders of the road, which made them easy targets for predators, like raccoons, skunks, and foxes, and increased the risk of both hatchlings and adults being hit by vehicles.
According to Ontario Parks, most turtle nests are destroyed by predators within 12 hours, and less than two per cent of turtle eggs will hatch and survive until adulthood.
If you’re visiting the park and witness a turtle laying eggs, it’s advised to give her as much space as possible and contact park staff so they can arrange to protect the nest from predators.
While you’re driving along the park roads, make sure to also drive slowly and keep an eye out for any turtles in the area.
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