Niki's Experience with the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre

The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre is a registered charity whose goal is to protect and conserve Ontario’s native turtles and the habitat in which they live. They accomplish this by operating a turtle hospital that treats, rehabilitates, and releases injured turtles, by performing extensive research in the field to further conservation initiatives, and by running a comprehensive education and outreach program. 

Niki’s work with the OTCC involved a lot of different projects! From turtle husbandry and rehabilitative care of injured turtles, eggs and hatchlings; to delivering tours, workshops and programs to visitors at the Education Centre; to helping to run the OTCC social media accounts, Niki stayed busy during her placement. 

Niki’s placement involved a lot of hands-on turtle care, as well as a large component of public outreach and education. This is super important, as the biggest threat to native freshwater turtle species in Ontario is humans, and education is one major way to help the turtles!