May 4 - Volunteer Weekly Email
Aaniin Everyone,
It has been a chilly past week with overnight temperatures considered 'below normal'. Thankfully, warmer temperatures are coming this week. The weekly forecast predicts rain which encourages hatchlings to emerge from their nest along with warmer temperatures.
Please continue signing up for shifts this week to monitor nests and scout parks for hatchlings from unknown nests. You can find the schedule on the Volunteer Portal on our website under the Volunteer Central tab.
SIGNAL
If you haven't yet, please download the app and text the hotline with your name and the parks where you volunteer in, to be added to the groups.
Please monitor the Turtles/Hatchlings on Land group and turn on notifications if possible.
2026 VOLUNTEER MENTOR LIST
Feel free to add your name to the schedule with one of these mentors to get oriented to a park. Many of these mentors are in other parks as well. Their names will appear in bold on the schedule. Additional mentors will be added to the East End parks.
High Park - Leah, Pravar, Kinga, Alex, Andrew, Carolyn, Erin and Clarabel, Kari,
Rennie - Kitty, Monica
Humber - Joyce, Marni, Suzanne
Smythe - Darci, Bryna, Derek, Ellery, Alistair and Elena
Sam Smith - Sharon, Mark T
Humber Bay - Jenny R
Brickworks - Deric, Anna-Camille
Biidaasige - TBD
Woodbine - Deric
NESTING TRAINING DATES: Save the dates
You only need to attend one of these training dates
May 19th: 6:30pm to 8pm - Smythe (meet at the pool entrance)
May 24th: 10:30am to 12pm - Brickworks (meet in front of the cafe)
May 25th: 6:30pm to 8pm - High Park (meet in the parking lot of Grenadier Cafe)
May 28th: 6:30pm to 8pm - Sam Smith (meet in the last parking lot)
FOR MENTORS ONLY, COMPLETE THE MEETING FORM:
UPCOMING WEBINARS TO GAIN ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE:
These webinars are highly recommended but optional. The Zoom link will be the same for all webinars. The link will also be in the Volunteer Portal. Due to limited capacity on the Zoom platform, only the first 100 people will be admitted to the meeting. Reminder to join the webinar on time for Elder Mark; late volunteers will not be admitted. See the Zoom link below.
Toronto Parks Turtle Population Study Webinar with Ethan Owen, PhD candidate at York University
Thursday May 7, 8:00 - 9:00 pm on Zoom
Ethan will go through the techniques used in the population studies. He'll also share more info about the turtles we know! For instance, young male Painted turtles dance and mesmerize females with their long front claws before mating but as they age, they dance less and use force instead (they bite the females neck!)
Turtle Protectors webinar with Jeff Hathaway from Scales Nature Park
Wednesday May 13, 7:30-8:30 pm on Zoom
The focus of this webinar will be on egg incubation, hatchling release sites and laws around excavation. Jeff has been doing this for decades. We really appreciate his place-based considerations so we will leave room for lots of your questions.
Indigenous Teachings about Turtle with Elder Mark Phillips
Wednesday, May 20th, 7:30-8:30pm on Zoom
Elder Mark will share Anishnaabek teachings about turtle.
ZOOM LINK FOR ALL WEBINARS:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86529186744?pwd=85aJQHobaax5gAkPRnlRRVBSbZPpvc.1
Meeting ID: 865 2918 6744
Passcode: 393859
JOBS:
Turtle Protectors is Hiring!
We have received funding through Canada Summer Jobs. To be eligible you must be 18-30 years old. The ideal candidate will:
have experience with turtles and Turtle Protectors
be willing to work in all kinds of weather
be available to work long hours during the month of June
be flexible with work start times (likely the shift will start at 6:00 AM once Snapping Turtles start nesting)
be able to travel to the different parks we steward
Rate of Pay: $19/hr, 35 hours per week, 8 weeks
Start date: mid May
We hope you all have a lovely week ahead!
Miigwetch for all of your support!
Carolynne and Jenny
