Collavino Conservation Area trail was temporarily closed through June and July to protect turtles during nesting.
After a two-month long partial closure of the nature trail at Amherstburg’s Collavino Conservation Area, the full path has finally reopened to the public.
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The Essex Region Conservation Authority temporarily rerouted the trail in June to avoid human activity interfering with turtle nesting season.
“We found that there’s a lot of nests and nesting turtles right in the middle of the trail where the public would go,” said Kevin Money, director of conservation services. “So, to afford them the quiet that they require to nest properly, we decided to close a section of the trail down in the highest density area.”
Collavino Conservation Area has a large concentration of Blanding’s Turtles, Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtles and Snapping Turtles, which are classified as at-risk species in Ontario.
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According to Money, turtles don’t like to be around humans while nesting, and frequent disturbances can cause them to relocate and lay their eggs in a more dangerous environment.
“We want these turtles to obviously nest where they want to nest in a safe, secure location like Collavino Conservation Area because it’s a protected site,” he said. “And that’s one of the primary purposes of these conservation areas is to provide a refuge for wildlife.”
