Many turtle species in Canada are endangered and now, two islands important to them are protected in the province of Quebec. The Nature Conservancy of Canada has announced another success in its ongoing efforts to acquire and protect lands through generous donors and governments.
A great island for basking
Map turtles love to bask on a large crescent of sand on a protected side of Île Hébert. The island is off the western edge of Montreal and only has an area of .45 hectares but it is home to multiple species at risk. It is also a prime breeding ground for 20 species of waterfowl and shorebirds. It was donated by the Hébert family in honour of a loved one who died in 2015.
Fish swim through underground channels
Île Reid is also home to map turtles, bald eagles and several rare plant species. It covers almost 28 hectares and is located in a channel of the Ottawa River. Caroline Gagné of the Nature Conservancy of Canada explains its unique features.
Listen“It has an underground ecosystem. It’s a rock formation where the water, through time, created holes…So, the river goes under the island in different passages and when you’re in the middle of the island you can see the fish from the river coming out of some holes. So it’s really interesting.”
While the islands have no hiking trails, they are accessible to people who have boats and agree to not disrupt the ecosystems.
Website invites turtle reports
The conservancy also got help to set up a website that people can use to report turtle sightings. The collection of data will help researchers identify roads that are especially dangerous for turtles and eventually perhaps provide special crossings for them.
This announcement was made on May 23, 2017 which was World Turtle Day, as designated by American Tortoise Rescue in 2000.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.