NEWS RELEASE
SCALES NATURE PARK
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Scales Nature Park, an education and conservation facility focused on Canadian reptiles and amphibians, is hosting TurtleFest again after a three-year hiatus, on Sunday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
TurtleFest is a celebration of turtle conservation efforts in the region, including the Saving Turtles at Risk Today (START) Project. Admission is free with a donation to turtle conservation.
Activities will include public releases of turtle hatchlings at a local wetland from the START project's egg incubation program, which has now incubated over 100,000 eggs. There will be games and crafts for kids at the Reptile Camp tent, a food tent and bake sale, research project displays and lots of turtle talk!
"The START project continued to grow throughout the pandemic, as we closed our public operations and focused on field conservation efforts in the region,” says Jeff Hathaway, founder of Scales Nature Park and director of the START Project.
"It has become the largest project of its kind, with great success at reducing turtle road mortality, identifying unknown reptile populations, protecting habitat, and boosting recruitment through our egg incubation program. We are now raising some hatchlings of rare species for two years to increase their survival rate- a process called headstarting. We’ll be releasing some of these headstarted turtles on Sunday."
During TurtleFest, turtle technicians will be on hand to show how to help turtles cross the road safely, demonstrate radio-tracking techniques, explain volunteer opportunities and when to contact the START project turtle hotline.
If you spot a “rare, nesting, injured or dead”turtle in central Ontario, you can call or text the hotline at (705) 955-4284 to help our conservation efforts.
Be sure to come out to Scales Nature Park on Aug. 20 to see baby turtles, learn more about turtle conservation, and have a lot of fun! It's just off Highway 11 at Oro-Medonte Line 15 South. For more information about Scales Nature Park, click here. The park will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with hatchling releases at noon and 3 p.m.
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