Turtles Kingston
Turtles Kingston is a not-for-profit organization that aims to protect turtles within Kingston and the area by supporting and encouraging the community to take action!
🐢 Have a turtle emergency?
Contact Sandy Pines 613-354-0264 or the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (Peterborough) 705-741-5000
Turtles Kingston Updates
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2026 Events and Booths
Turtles Kingston will be present with turtle information at the following community events:
- Sun May 17 - Memorial Centre Farmers Market (info booth)
Sat June 6 - Earth Fest at Confederation Park (info and sales booth)
Sat June 13 - Springer Market Square (info booth)
Sat June 20 - South Frontenac Lakes and Trails Festival
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T-shirt Pre-Orders
We have new t-shirts featuring the 5 local turtle species to Kingston, Ontario.
$35 each
currently only available for local pick up (from Inverness Cres)
colours may differ as we are using leftover paint to be more eco
all printed on dark blue T-shirt’s that are 100% cotton
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2026 Focus: Myth Busting
Help dispel the myths around these beautiful common snapping turtle found in Ontario.
YES they are intimidating, they are scared and trying to scare you away because they cannot hide by pulling themselves into their shells
NO they are not naturally aggressiveYES a common snapping turtle bite will hurt, but their bite force is less than an adult human
NO they cannot bite your finger offYES you can safely approach and handle a common snapping turtle with one of our 3 methods such as by getting the turtle on a car mat, towel, or shovel by lifting them with their back shell above their hind legs.
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Focus 2026: helping injured turtles
By helping an injured adult turtle you are effectively completing decades of conservation work!
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Monthly Blog Posts
Learn about our wonderful Ontario Turtles with our monthly blog posts.
Our local snapping turtle
We met with Global News to discuss the myths around our local common snapping turtle.
4 Things We Wish Everyone Knew…
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Never Straddle Turtles
When possible, try not to straddle turtles, as common snapping turtles will reach up to protect themselves — getting injured — and smaller turtles might scurry as you go over top — increasing chances of life-threatening injuries or their demise.
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Overwintering Hatchlings
Often, midland painted and northern map turtle hatchlings will spend the winter in their nests, emerging the following spring between March and June.
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Turtle Nests in Driveways
If you have a gravel driveway or piles of landscaping material, it may attract nesting turtles. If you don’t want turtles nesting in your landscaping piles be sure to cover them with a tarp before May 1. If a turtle does nest, it must be left where it is and not disturbed. The occasional car driving over a nest is fine, just ensure you don’t park any cars over top of it. Remember to watch for hatchlings!
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Turtles and Fishing
If you accidentally hook a turtle DO NOT cut the fishing line as an ingested hook can be fatal for a turtle. If possible, lift the turtle out of the water with a fishing net or by grabbing the back of their shell (not their tail). If the hook is not easily and safely removable, bring the turtle to a rehab centre such as Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre or the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre in Peterborough.
Why do we care about turtles?
Turtles do no harm and, in fact, they are considered ‘caretakers’ of our fresh water systems. They maintain the quality of water sources by consuming vast amounts of bacteria-producing carrion (decaying flesh), promoting stronger fish populations and a healthier environment for humans to enjoy. As species that spend time both in the water and on land, turtles act as a ’conduit’ of energy between terrestrial (land) and aquatic (water) ecosystems. Turtles are also considered a keystone species that other species rely on for survival. If our Ontario turtles were to disappear, ecosystems would change dramatically!
