Temporary trail closure at Collavino Conservation Area for turtle protection

Blanding’s Turtles are one of the species that can be found at Collavino Conservation Area.  A temporary partial trail closure is in effect through July to provide turtle nests the best chance of survival. (Photo submitted by Essex Region Conservation Authority)

Approximately one kilometre of trail at the new Collavino Conservation Area in Amherstburg will be temporarily closed through June and July to allow for turtle protection during the nesting season, the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) has announced.

“Collavino Conservation Area has a high concentration of Species-at-Risk, including Blanding’s Turtles, Eastern Spiny Soft Turtles and Snapping Turtles,” said ERCA’s director of conservation services Kevin Money in a news release issued June 19. “Because this section of mowed trail along the dyke is narrow, there tends to be a high concentration of turtle nests that are vulnerable to destruction or inadvertent disturbance from passive uses like walking your dog along the dyke. Temporarily closing this trail during the nesting period will increase the chances of survival.” Turtle researchers also monitor nesting sites in this area.”

ERCA says the Collavino Conservation Area opened to rave reviews in May, thanks to the generosity of Loris Collavino and his family, who donated the 150 acre wetland property and funds to create public amenities while protecting the natural space and the species that inhabit it in perpetuity.

“The trail has been re-routed during this short period to provide an approximate one-kilometre loop around the prime nesting area,” Money says. “We truly hope that people will respect this temporary trail closure to allow these at-risk species the best chances of survival.”

The Collavino Conservation Area is located on North Side Road, between Front Road North (County Road 20) and Concession 2 North, near River Canard.

The Essex Region Conservation Authority is a public sector organization established by the Province of Ontario in 1973 and governed by local municipalities. For more than 50 years, it has delivered local programs and services that further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources in watersheds in the Windsor-Essex-Pelee Island region.

Special to the RTT