July 29, 2026 - Volunteer Email

Jul 30

Aaniin Everyone,

We hope all is well and having a pleasant summer thus far.

We are still receiving calls about turtles on land, mostly Red Eared Sliders
There have been a couple of incidents at the Brickworks involving people catching turtles. Please call the Hotline immediately and discreetly take photos of the people involved. If they leave with a turtle, please take a photo of license plate. We do not expect you to intervene as we want to prioritize your safety. If you feel comfortable approaching people, please be mindful of your words and tone to avoid any escalation.
I received a call on the Hotline the other night from two youth who accidentally caught Painted Turtle with a fishing hook in the Victoria Park and 401 area. They were in a panic and used Chat GPT to find out who to call about the incident. Volunteer Karen arrived on scene and transported turtle to TWC the following morning. Karen picked up turtle yesterday and released them back into the pond
Unfortunately Painted Turtle in the Humber Bay area lost her life on the road. Volunteer Grant arrived on scene to remove her and released her body in the marsh. Today, another turtle was hit on the road on Lakeshore near Kingsway. This turtle was transported by a Wild Palz for medical attention.

Please continue to sign up for shifts as we need nests monitored once or twice a day.
Please still monitor the Turtle on Land chat
We will review our volunteer list to determine who is an active volunteer. We may make decisions regarding inactive volunteers in the coming weeks—those who haven't completed any shift commitments since the nesting season. If you have been off for medical reasons or away for short periods but completed shifts please disregard

Mandatory for those who have not assisted hatchlings this year

Regardless of which park you volunteer in, you may attend any session that fits your schedule
August 24th: 7pm to 8:30pm - High Park - Meet at Grenadier Cafe
August 25th: 7pm to 8:30pm - Smythe Park - Meet in front of the swimming pool
August 30th: 10am to 11:30am - Brickworks - Meet in front of the first pond
Register for training: CLICK HERE

Celebration of Life Ceremony with Grandmother Vivian

August 5th 7pm to 9pm in High Park behind the Nature Centre (near Bloor entrance)
Conducted by Grandmother Vivian, Firekeeper Joshua
To attend this ceremony, you must arrive on time. This is out of respect for Grandmother Vivian and the Elders who conduct ceremonies.
One ceremony protocol requires abstaining from all recreational substances including alcohol, for four days prior to the ceremony (beginning Saturday the 1st). If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.
This ceremony is only for active volunteers, not guests. This ceremony honours turtles and other animal kin who lost their live in the parks or on surrounding roads/areas.
If you wish to attend this ceremony, please register here: CLICK HERE

Volunteer Shellabration

August 6th 7pm to 8:30pm at Brickworks
Meet at the first (main) pond
If there is heavy rain, lightning, or heat/air advisory this event will be postponed
To register: CLICK HERE

Chi miigwetch for all of your support! Wishing you all a lovely rest of the week!

Carolynne and Jenny

August 3, 2026 - Volunteer Email