BREAKING NEWS: It is by Grace...Bones of Beloved +125 Yr. Turtle Found
We are very saddened by the recent discovery: the remains of Grace, the ancient one-eyed turtle have been found...and she was found far from home.
Earlier this month Haliburton cottagers, Karol and Stephanie, brought in the bones of a turtle they found in a lake in an entirely different watershed, in a place and a time where Grace would not have ventured of her own volition.
Grace's story began as a celebrated and recognized icon in the small village of Haliburton. The difficulty ensued in January 2022 when her hibernation site, an Environmentally Protected wetland was filled, in part due to a lack of local protections.
Of all parts of a turtle's territory, it is the hibernation sites that they are most loyal to because of their unique features allowing for safe overwintering. Grace likely perished because she was lost and could not find a suitable hibernation site.
After 1.5 years, the township has still failed to install a standard site alteration bylaw found across Ontario, that would protect important wildlife habitats and species such as Grace.
Grace's hibernation site was also home to other Wildlife that are protected under the Endangered Species Act, forcing the province to step in. However, it is unclear if the province may issue a permit for the filling after all because the current leader has been dismantling fundamental protections for nature and animals across the province, for a few developers to pave paradise. The province points to creating new wetlands to "offset" the loss, but Grace's experience shows us that this experiment will fail.
We ask you now to share Grace's story and this petition https://www.change.org/inthenameofgrace and call for wisdom and protection of wildlife and nature; the changes we need to install if we look ahead beyond 4 years, to the next 400 years on this planet.
Please consider supporting our work to save wildlife and wetlands: https://gofund.me/039eab63
Turtle Guardians is part of a National Non-Government Grassroots Charity called The Land Between 805849916RR0001