Turtle Guardian Volunteers Being Sought

The MPOA received the following email from a charity called The Land Between. We verified that it is a certified Ontario Government charity based in Haliburton Ontario.

From Mel Abberger, Volunteer & Education Coordinato & Turtle Technician:

I am reaching out today on behalf of The Land Between Charity. We are a conservation non-profit organization that is working to protect and restore natural spaces and wildlife in Southern Ontario’s last intact wilderness. We run community science and education programs that give local residents opportunities to help protect wildlife populations and connect with nature in a meaningful way.

As spring approaches, The Land Between is getting ready for our busy season, and we need all the help we can get. We run a variety of community science programs where community members help us survey their areas for wildlife and contribute to keeping native Ontario wildlife populations safe. Our Turtle Guardians program works to protect Ontario’s native turtle populations, while other programs work with snakes, birds, and invasive plant species. Most of our programs run from approximately the middle of May to the end of September. Volunteers can participate at any age and from almost anywhere in the province.

Based on the work that your organization does in the community, we think that your members and/or volunteer network might be interested in getting involved with Community Science programs with The Land Between. Below please find brief descriptions of each of our programs.

Turtle Guardians Community Science Programs:

Wetland Watchers - Survey wetlands to see what turtle species and other wildlife are using these ecosystems.

Road Researchers - Monitor roads to help turtles cross safely and make sure that injured and nesting turtles get the care and help they need.

Nest Sitters - Watch over nesting turtles and their nests to protect them from the threats of roads and predators.

Crossing Guards - Help monitor a high road mortality “hotspot” by helping turtles cross the road safely and making sure injured and nesting turtles get the help they need.

The Land Between Community Science Programs:

Phragmites Fighters - Help locate and remove stands of invasive Phragmites australis or European common reed to protect our native wildlife and ecosystems.

Snake Supervisors -  Survey for snakes in your backyard or around your area while you are out walking or biking.

Nightjar Surveys - Listen and look for Nightjar birds along specific routes near you during their peak breeding and calling season.

Backyard Whip-Poor-Will Challenge - Tell us if you can hear this heritage species from your property.

Volunteers can register for our programs using the link attached.

https://www.thelandbetween.ca/community-science-sign-up/

This link will take you to the Community Science registration page, where you can learn more about our programs, register to volunteer your time, and get updates about training workshops. You can register for multiple programs at once. Once you are registered, our staff will be in touch to help you register for a training workshop for your specific program.

We hope to get more people involved with local community science projects and connected with nature, and would appreciate it if you could send this email around to your members, volunteer networks, and anyone else that may be interested.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your time, and have a great day!

Sincerely,

Mel Abberger

Volunteer & Education Coordinator | Turtle Technician

www.turtleguardians.com

(705) 457-1222