The spring of 2024 marks the third year of an amazing collaboration between HCA, and teacher Sean Polap and his construction class at Milton District High School!
In the past, HCA has been the grateful recipient of 5 bat boxes, 23 turtle nest protectors, 38 bird boxes, and 2 owl boxes. Nest boxes are a great tool to help support local wildlife, as they offer safety and protection from predators or accidental disturbance by humans. Nest boxes have been installed throughout HCA areas, including at Valens Lake, Dundas Valley, Saltfleet, and Fletcher Creek, and have been used by many different species.
In particular, raccoons, skunks, crows, gulls, and other animals frequently prey upon turtle nests. Turtles sometimes nest in heavily used areas such as garden beds, trails, and roadsides, bringing them right to where people are. Since all eight species of turtle native to Ontario are now classified as Species at Risk, the need to protect turtle nests is at an all-time high.
New this year! Rental Program for Turtle Nest Protectors
This year, HCA’s Stewardship program will be offering a free turtle nest protector rental program. A small number of turtle nest protectors are available to landowners in the HCA watershed who are encountering nesting turtles on their property. This free rental program will allow landowners to use a turtle protector for the duration of the nesting season, with the protectors returned in the late summer and fall, or after the hatchlings have emerged.
Nest protectors sit on top of the nest, which is usually a shallow depression in the ground covered by a thin layer of soil. After the turtle lays the eggs and leaves the site, a protector can be placed on top of the nest to prevent predators from reaching the nest. When the eggs hatch, the turtles will be able to dig themselves up from the nest and leave the site, at which point the nest protector can be removed.
Get in Touch
For more information and to inquire about availability, please contact Jeff Stock, Watershed Stewardship Technician, at jstock@conservationhamilton.ca or 905-525-2181, ext. 196.
