Turtle beach

Beach team: (L-R) Crystal Robertson, Devon Coburn, Julia Phillips and Paul Yannuzzi with an array of life-size models of four species of turtle found in this area. (L-R) Blanding’s turtle, stinkpot, or musk, turtle, the northern map turtle and the painted turtle.

West Lake residents encouraging nesting turtles with help from the Toronto Zoo

Seven of eight species of turtle found in Ontario are either considered threatened or endangered, according to the Toronto Zoo. This means that nearly every turtle observed in the wild is at risk of imminent extinction or will become extinct if current trends aren’t interrupted.

Devon Coburn wants to change this trend—at least for the turtles that reside near her home. Devon and her partner Jeff Collis live on a small lakeside lot on the north shore of West Lake.

A couple years ago, Devon read about a program in which the Toronto Zoo would offer instruction about how to construct a turtle beach. Turtles are most vulnerable as fresh new eggs and as hatchlings not yet reaching the water. She had read how constructed beaches not only offer nesting turtles a welcoming material in which to deposit eggs, but feature the added benefit of an attentive humans to watch over the nest and discourage predators.

She had seen turtles laying eggs on her shoreline in past years,but was unclear whether any had survived. She gave the Toronto Zoo a call.

Last week the Zoo’s Julia Phillips, Crystal Robertson and Paul Yannuzzi arrived, ready to roll up their sleeves and construct a turtle beach on Devon’s front yard. All three work with Toronto Zoo’s Adopt-a-Pond Wetland Conservation program. They work with motivated landowners to develop and improve habitat for such endangered species including the Blanding’s turtle and the map turtle.

“Habitat is frequently the limiting feature for species at risk,” explained Phillips. Once biologically diverse, shorelines are now more likely to feature a farm field or a manicured lawn—neither of which presents an inviting place for turtles to lay their eggs.”

Devon had already removed the sod from a rectangle of land measuring about five by three metres when Phillips and her team arrived. The specific site was chosen because a cluster of shoreline shrubs provides protection from the wind.

Julia Phillips explains that lack of nesting habitat is putting pressure on Ontario’s turtle population.

Nearby a truck unloaded pea gravel and sand. By the end of the day—the beach was ready—a layer of pea gravel to ensure drainage, covered by a mound of sand rising above the surrounding area, sloping toward the south.

Devon has seen stinkpot turtles, also known as musk turtles, eggs on her shoreline, but fears they were victims of ants. Raccoons, skunks and gulls are more common predators to freshly delivered eggs, but ants will also forage upon the nutritious eggs.

“The eggs are most vulnerable the first few days after they are laid in the nest,” said Phillips. “Predators know by the scent that eggs are nearby.”

She is teaching Devon how to give the turtle eggs a fighting start. Phillips brought along a sample of a nest protector—essentially a frame of 2 by 6 inch lumber covered on one side by one-centremetre mesh chickenwire. Once the eggs have been delivered, Devon will place the protector over the eggs, enabling heat and light to enter, but keeping predators out.

The turtle beach was installed just in time for the turtles laying season which runs from mid-May to mid-July. The eggs will hatch from about the end of August until early October.

Devon and Jeff recently had a geothermal heating system installed in their yard. Grass is beginning to grow in spots but there are plenty of bare patches of sandy soil surrounding the turtle beach.

“It will be interesting to see where the turtles lay their eggs,” said Phillips, acknowledging the possibility the turtles will choose their own nesting sites despite the best of intentions. “In any event, it will be a learning experience.”