'It takes a community': Neighbours unite to protect turtle nest

As a snapping turtle laid eggs by the Quaker Trail in Newmarket, citizens rushed into action to protect the member of the at-risk species.

Newmarket resident Kamil Czuba said he got the call June 12 to help provide fenced protection over top of the nest, as he had once before. Meanwhile, Michelle Playter, another resident, waited four hours to ensure no harm came to the turtle setting up along a busy trail.

“Just to give the turtles a fighting chance,” Czuba said of the effort. “Every little bit helps the species.” 

Newmarket citizens are promoting turtle protection as nesting season arrives in the region. 

Local biologist Aileen Barclay was part of the effort June 12 to ensure the protection of the turtle nest. She said all turtles in Ontario are at risk and are very vulnerable, with nests at risk of predation. 

A turtle “may be going to that breeding site for decades and then there’s a road there. They don’t know to wait for traffic crossing,” she said, adding that poaching and habitat loss are also problems. “They’re getting hit at all levels.”

The Czuba family, with two daughters, put up an educational sign to tell passersby about the nest and requesting they avoid touching anything inside. The chicken wire will keep predators out, Czuba said, but an opening at the front will allow the baby turtles to try to make the crossing to the pond nearby when they hatch around August. 

“The kids get to learn. You want to pass down certain values,” he said. “It just teaches them respect for animals.” 

“It’s nice to know the community can come together,” Barclay said, adding she thinks a kid-written sign might have more impact than a government one. “Every egg we can protect, really, that’s good.” 

After posting about the incident on Facebook, Barclay said she has several others reach out to mention other nests they have come across. She said she is working with someone on more wooden protectors, but without any grant funding, would welcome more supplies or help.

“It takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to protect these species and watch over nature,” she said.

“You do what you can to help nature,” Czuba said. “It’s a tiny little piece that we can contribute.”