World Turtle Weekend
Saturday, May 19, 2018
10am to 4pm
Free with zoo admission
Blanding’s turtle (Photo by Brennan Caverhill)
May 23 is World Turtle Day, an annual day to “shellebrate” and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. It is sponsored by America Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization that protects all species of turtle and tortoise.
On May 19, visit the Americas Wetland to learn how to identify all eight of Ontario’s turtles, help Ontario turtles through our Turtle Tally citizen science programme’s improved online form and new app, and play turtle themed games with kid-friendly prizes! Americas Wetlands area will be packed full of excitement with terrific turtle games, air brush tattoos, and Bobbers our huggable Blanding’s turtle mascot! Don’t miss out on our turtle bouncy castle (waiver required), where your $2 donation goes directly to the Adopt-A-Pond Wetland Conservation Programme projects. Also, visit the Indo-Malayan pavilion from 11:30-12:30 and 1:30-3pm to see and learn about caring for turtles and tortoises in captivity.
Have you started reporting your frog and turtle sightings with the new Adopt-A-Pond Citizen Science app? App users will receive a “Conservation Supporter” badge for attending World Turtle Weekend, to show off in their online profiles! Don’t have the app yet? Download it from Google Play or the iOS App Store before attending and then be sure to visit us at the Americas Wetlands to get your badge.
For more information about Toronto Zoo’s conservation programs, visit:
http://www.torontozoo.com/AdoptAPond/ and http://www.torontozoo.com/FightingExtinction/
