It's turtle nesting season. Here's what you need to know and what to do if you find one

Turtle nesting season got off to a slower start with the dry weather, but after Monday's rainfall turtles are on the move and the Turtle Project hotline at Rare Charitable Research Reserve in Cambridge has been ringing off the hook. 

"We're getting a bunch of turtle calls. They really like the rain to loosen up the soil and that's when they kind of come in droves," Rosalind Snyder, a conservation technician with Rare told CBC News.

The hotline was put in place for the general public to use if they find a vulnerable nest in an effort to save and protect as many turtle eggs as possible.

Snyder said people are more likely to see turtles out and about this time of year digging in different spots around a particular area. That's because they are testing the soil and checking out the location to make sure its an ideal spot to lay their eggs.

"Typically, if you see a turtle in the area and she's moving around or she's digging, it doesn't necessarily mean she's nesting. She might be making test nests," Snyder said.

Give her space

When a female turtles is ready to lay her eggs, she'll stand in the hole she's dug and stay there for several hours, Snyder said. Female turtles also come back to the same area year after year to lay their eggs and people or pets disrupting that process could cause a lot of harm.

Snyder said the turtle could abandon her nest, not lay her eggs properly — which could put them at risk of not surviving — or it could cause the turtle to hold on to her eggs longer and make her sick.

"People get excited to see a turtle and want to take pictures or make sure she's OK, but the best thing people can do is just give her space, like a good amount of distance so you're not bothering her," Snyder said.

"She knows what's she's doing."

Snapping and Midland Painted Turtles are the most common species people will find in Waterloo region and surrounding areas, Snyder said. They often make their nests near ponds, around the Grand River in gravely sand.

"There are areas where we pick up turtles that are right in people's front lawns or right in their backyard, just because they live near the pond," she said.

In North Dumfries, conservation technicians were called to remove eggs from a turtle nest found near a pond.

"A turtle has laid eggs in front of Watson Pond at Centennial Park and is trying to cross Northumberland Street. Our staff is now on site to ensure the turtle crosses safely. Please slow down and watch for turtles on area roads," the township tweeted Monday morning.

So what do you do if you find a nest?

Snyder said there are a few things to keep in mind if you come across a nest. First, call the Turtle Project hotline and let them know you found a nest and give them as much information about the location.

If the nest is in an area that is not near the road or near a high traffic trail or path, Snyder said they often put a netted, wooden box on top of the nest to bring people's attention to the spot and protect it from predators.

But if the nest is near the road or at risk of being stepped on, staff will go out, collect the eggs and hatch them in their turtle incubator.

"By August when they hatch, we bring them right back to the spot they were collected and we release them in the nearest [body of water]," she said.

Since the Turtle Project started in 2017, Snyder said they have released over 7,000 turtles in the area.

She adds that if people see a turtle crossing the road help it cross by carefully picking it up and placing it on the other side. If you see an injured turtle, Snyder said to call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre where they have a turtle hospital.