What to Expect at our Turtle Release Events
We’re excited to share that the first baby turtles have begun hatching in our incubator at the Cumberland Library! Each hatchling is the size of a loonie and has a yolk sac that, provides them with nutrients while they dig out of their nests. Before they’re ready for release, FOPI summer staff carefully wrap each hatchling in moist paper towel while they absorb their yolk sac. This process typically takes 1–5 days.
Our first few turtle releases are coming up! Our turtle releases have become one of our most popular events, and all registration spots are now full. If you are interested in next year’s release events, make sure to sponsor a turtle to gain priority access to registration. During the event, participants get an up-close look at the hatchlings before our staff gently place them near their original nesting site. Thanks to your support, we have been able to continue our turtle conservation programs and help release more than 400 turtles each year. Thank you to the CWF for their support and for sharing their expertise. If you have any questions about the releases, please let us know. We hope to see you at a future release!
Library Turtle Tales
The Cumberland Library staff is hosting Turtle Tales, featuring a variety of fun activities, including turtle book readings. We will also be there to share information about our turtle conservation program and introduce our newly hatched baby turtles. The next session is on Saturday August 15th at 10AM. To register and view upcoming dates visit the Cumberland Library website.
Kids’ Naturalist Sessions Continue
Join us every Tuesday (English) and Thursday (French) at 10 AM for a nature presentation and fun activities for children aged 3-13. This summer we have welcomed over 250 participants! This weeks’ theme is mammals. Next week, we’ll wrap up our summer sessions with our final theme, frogs!
Volunteer Spotlight
Volunteer Michele B. has been with us for three years, contributing to both our wildflower and turtle projects. One of her memorable volunteer experiences was finding a turtle in the parking lot during nesting season. She was able to safely protect the turtle from traffic and guide her to a grassy area, where she began nesting. Later that summer, Michele attended a turtle release, giving her the opportunity to see the direct impact of the work she helped support!
Although she does not work in the environmental field, volunteering has taught her so much about the wildlife around her. She says she is constantly learning from other volunteers about native plants and nesting turtles. She explained that she always leaves feeling fulfilled, knowing she has contributed to something highly meaningful. Michele’s advice for anyone considering volunteering is that you don’t need any prior knowledge or experience to get started. She said that you’ll learn as you go and you’ll get back more than you give.
We want to thank all our 40+ volunteers for their support with our turtle program, wildflower gardens, general trail maintenance, garbage pickup and more. Their ongoing commitment plays an important role in protecting Petrie Island!
Partnership with Carleton University
As part of our turtle program, we partnered with students Lacey Pilon and Deanna Wright in the Davy lab at Carleton University. Their research explores how incubation temperature affects the size and incubation time of Snapping Turtle and Northern Map Turtle hatchlings. As global temperatures continue to change, this work will help inform incubation temperatures and support future turtle conservation efforts. The research is non-invasive and does not harm the hatchlings. Our partnership with the lab also allowed us to collect and incubate more eggs than we could on our own. The lab collected an additional 249 eggs for their study and in alignment with our plans with the CWF, all hatchlings will be released at Petrie Island.
FOPI Pavilion
In celebration of our upcoming 30th anniversary, we are building a permanent pavilion to replace our aging seasonal tent. This gathering place will allow us to expand our science programs, welcome more community groups, and host even more conservation events. If you would like to support this project, you can make a donation on our website or e-transfer directly to deposit@petrieisland.org.
BioBlitz 2026 Recap
We hosted our first invasive species BioBlitz on July 26th. Thank you to everyone who came out and to our executives, Lana and Sherry, for making this event a success! Together, we explored Petrie’s invasive plant species and recorded their locations using iNaturalist. Participants learned how to identify and distinguish between native and non-native plant species. We logged more than 140 observations across 51 plant species. This data is shared directly with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, where scientists and researchers can use the data for conservation efforts to protect Petrie Island and other ecosystems. Do not worry if you were not able to attend this year, we will be making this an annual event! We look forward to seeing you next year.
Shorebird Walk
Thank you to biologist Lee Stach for leading our second Shorebird Walk of the year on August 9th. We had a fantastic morning learning about Petrie Island’s shorebirds! Want to learn more about shorebirds
and waterfowl? Stop by our nature center any day between 9am and 4pm to grab a book for only two dollars each!