What Can You Do?
If you are interested in volunteering, learning more, or being more involved with us please sign up below!
Transport Injured / Dead Turtles
Injured turtles can be healed and dead turtles may not be dead or may be carrying eggs that can be saved! You can be a big part of keeping turtle populations alive by transporting injured and/or dead turtles to one of our temporary holding locations or directly to Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre (Napanee) or the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (Peterborough).
Report Turtle Sightings
The more we know about turtles, the better we can protect them. Specifically, knowing where they are found can help us to protect their habitats. If you find a turtle report your sighting on iNaturalist. For turtles on roads in Kingston submit your observations directly to us here. Beyond these two locations please keep turtle location private as there are poachers that target Ontario turtles.
Slow Down
A major cause of death in turtles is road mortality. Slow down, watch out, and brake for turtles that you see on the roads. You can even take it a step further and help the turtle cross the road, if it is safe to do so.
Volunteer as a Injured Turtle Driver or Turtle Monitor
Turtles Kingston relies on volunteer drivers to help transport injured and dead turtles from our temporary holding locations in Kingston to Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre (Napanee) where turtles receive care.
We also rely on volunteers to monitor turtles and protect their nests in our downtown Kingston monitoring site. If you are interested in volunteering please fill out our volunteer from below.
We recruit new volunteer drivers every March and April. You can sign up outside these times but do not expect to be contacted until March.
Protect Turtle Nests
If you come across a turtle nest, help protect it from predators by covering it with a nest protector. You can purchase or make a nest protector to place on your own property. Note, if you are placing a nest protector on public or private lands, you need permission from the landowner. Place the nest protector with your contact information attached, then email the landowner to confirm you can leave it there. If they object, then return and remove the nest protector.
Contact your Public Works Department
Request that your Public Works Department consider rescheduling road maintenance near wetlands and other water bodies to outside the turtle nesting season (May through July) as well as the hatchling season (March-June and August-October). This discussion could also include consideration of halting applications of any pesticides and herbicides in wetland areas. The City of Kingston and other towns can be used as an example of successful changes being made by the Public Works Department for the benefit of turtles. Learn more about what your city could do here:
Support Turtles Kingston
Turtles Kingston is a grass-roots community group that operates thanks to the generous donations from people like you. Our coordinators and director are all volunteers and donations go to supporting and growing turtle programs.
We could not do our work without the generous support of Turtle Warriors like yourself. Thank you for helping make our community a better place for turtles.