Why didn’t the
TURTLE
cross the road?
REPTILE
Rendezvous
JANUARY 23 to APRIL 17, 2016
RBG CENTRE
– By Tys Theysmeyer
RBG partners got into the turtle conservation effort as well.
Following RBG’s Cootes Drive pilot studies with temporary
fencing to prevent road-kills, City of Hamilton established a
permanent wildlife barrier fence along the length of Cootes
Drive between McMaster University property and Spencer
Creek to prevent wildlife such as wandering/nesting female
turtles, from getting crushed on the road.
Following this theme, Hamilton Conservation Authority
constructed a temporary fence on the north side of Cootes
Drive (opposite from RBG) to reduce road kills, contributed
an intern to monitor how it works, and contributed to
Phragmites management in the same area.Volunteers with
Dundas Turtlewatch patrolled Cootes Drive, King Road
and Olympic Drive looking for turtles in jeopardy of being
hit, and several adult and hatchling turtles were rescued.
Engage with the wild and wonderful world
of turtles, lizards, snakes and more!
COME
SHELL-EBR
AT
WITH ME! E
Hydro One, a property owner at the back of Cootes
Paradise, also contributed and improved fencing at their
works yard (to ensure turtles don’t wander in) complemented
by custom nesting sites outside the fence (and turtles nested
in them). And to round it out, McMaster University also
got into the act by adding nesting sites to the area it’s renaturalizing along Ancaster Creek, found immediately
up