Volunteer with Turtle Protectors
We need your help to protect our Turtle relatives! We believe that every individual can make a meaningful impact.
Join us in advocating for the Turtles that inhabit Toronto city parks. Turtle Protectors welcomes people of all ages and abilities. Volunteers under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
Volunteer applications are currently closed
Miigwetch (thank you) for your interest in volunteering with us!
We are now in spring hatchling season and are no longer recruiting volunteers.
We open volunteer applications 1-2 times a year. Our next recruitment period will be for the upcoming nesting season beginning in mid/late April. Please keep an eye on this page for more details!
Types of Volunteer Roles
We offer many ways for community members to get involved with Turtle Protectors, with varying levels of commitment. You have the option to:
Scout the parks we work in to look for turtles on land (nesting Mamas or hatchlings depending on the season).
Patrol roads that border parks looking for turtles and helping them safely cross.
Be on-call for when we spot a nesting Mama or emerging nest in your area, or another volunteer is unable to complete their shift.
Drive injured turtles to the Toronto Wildlife Centre.
Document turtles and our work through photography and video.
Assist with fundraising and grant writing.
Collect data on turtle activity and protection.
Time Commitment
We are 100% reliant upon volunteers to monitor and protect turtles. The peak season is a short but busy time, with June and September being the busiest months. We ask volunteers to make a weekly commitment of three hours during June and September.
Trainings
All volunteers are required to complete an Indigenous Ways of Knowing training either in-person or online. If you are volunteering to scout in the parks, you will also need to complete both hatchling and nesting season trainings.
