The Team

Tara Bauer is an Environmental Scientist with a specialty in hydrogeology (groundwater and geology) who grew up in Kingston and has just returned after a 12-year absence. Turtles have been Tara’s favourite animal her whole life and in fact one of the first ever awards she remembers receiving was for “Being so knowledgeable about turtles” when she was 10 attending Grass Creek Camp.

It was her passion of turtles and rocks that drove Tara to the University of Guelph’s Environmental Sciences program, and it was her love of physics that pushed her into the Earth and Atmospheric realm. Tara’s professional career is in the abiotic, non-living Earth, but her interests have always expanded into the biotic, living Earth, with courses in Amphibian and Reptile identification and monitoring and contributing to biologic field work when and where possible (including electrofishing).

With her experience in conservation, consulting, and environmental science Tara is excited to use her knowledge and passion to continue the important work of Turtles Kingston.  

What does the Assistant Director do? The Assistant Director is responsible for providing support to the Director in the daily operation of Turtles Kingston. Specifically, the Assistant Director helps make decisions regarding the long term plan for Turtles Kingston and the daily operation of the Turtles Kingston Team and larger events.

What does the Trauma Program Coordinator do? The Trauma Program Coordinator is responsible for the turtle trauma response program, which includes organization of our temporary holding stations, recruiting and organization of volunteer drivers, responding to trauma calls, dispatching volunteer drivers, and organization of the release of rehabilitated turtles.

Who is Adrian?

Adrian is a wife, stay-at-home mom of two, and fledgling author. A "professional" student, she has spent the last decade learning about animals. She obtained her Bachelor in Zoology, then continued her education to obtain a certificate as a Veterinary Assistant. Still unsatisfied with her knowledge, she completed her Master’s in Anthrozoology in 2021.

Adrian has a deep appreciation for all animals and has been looking for a way to take part in wildlife conservation and animal care. She has previously volunteered with Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and spent a winter helping in the turtle room. Unfortunately, medical issues have made direct involvement with animal care too challenging, so she is very excited to be able to continue helping turtles as both the Assistant Director and Trauma Program Coordinator.

When she isn’t busy wrangling children, Adrian likes to continue to educate herself on a variety of topics, read, travel, and SLEEP! She also dabbles in a variety of artistic projects from sewing to cake decorating, digital art, clay sculpting, painting, and well anything else that comes up.

What does the Science Coordinator do? The Science Coordinator will be helping Turtles Kingston establish two new programs to further protect turtle eggs and improve our understanding of turtles in Kingston.

Who is Lesley?

Lesley has had a lifelong interest in nature and is passionate about its conservation. She is a biologist and recently completed her MSc at Queen’s. She has lived in Kingston for 13 years and has been volunteering with and studying the turtles of Kingston’s Inner Harbour for about 5 years. She has also worked and volunteered with other nature and environmental organizations in Kingston and surrounding area. She looks forward to working with Turtles Kingston and some exciting projects to help our local turtles!

What does the Social Media Coordinator do? The Social Media Coordinator helps to create content for our Facebook and Instagram accounts to both educate and entertain our followers.

Who is Alex?

I'm not just passionate about animals; I'm on a mission to rescue and educate! 

As someone who's been lucky enough to have grown up with animals, my journey started with a heart full of love for all creatures, big and small. From having rabbits, rats, mice, cats, dogs and many more growing up; animals are and always have been a huge part of my life. 

I'm not just an animal rescuer, I'm also an animal advocate, striving to make a difference, one rescue at a time.​ 

In September of 2024, I started my own podcast to dive deep into the fascinating world of reptiles, amphibians, and exotic animals.

Exploring the incredible diversity of these creatures, discussing essential topics like conservation, preservation, misunderstood animals, help reduce misconceptions of particular animals, how to appreciate and understand nature and responsible animal ownership. 

Some of the most important aims of this podcast are to give a voice to misunderstood and misrepresented animals, helping educate people of their true behaviours and abolish stigmas attached to animals such as snakes, alligators, crocodiles, snakes and snapping turtles.

I am based in Kent, United Kingdom.