OTTAWA, Aug. 6, 2026 – The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is celebrating another milestone in its efforts to protect one of Canada's most endangered reptiles, with a record 900 Blanding's Turtle eggs now being incubated at its Kanata office —a 50 per cent increase over last year's total of 600 eggs.
The Blanding’s Turtle is an endangered species in Canada and a globally endangered species. In the Ottawa area it takes 15 to20 years for a Blanding’s hatchling to be old enough to start laying eggs, so the increase is due to community reporting rather than increases in birth rates, said David Seburn, freshwater turtle specialist for CWF.
The hatchlings will soon be released back into the wild near their nesting sites.
“We work hard to make sure that each person (and their family) who reports the nest can be involved in the hatchling release,” Seburn said. “We want people to be a part of the project. To know they have contributed to helping an endangered species. And each year we get reports from new people who tell us that a friend or neighbour told them about our incubation work. The network grows and, because of that, we are able to accomplish more together.”
Over the past eight years, CWF has incubated more than 6,000 turtle eggs from a variety of species. The turtle incubation program reduces risks of predation and keeps hatchings away from busy roadways.
For more information, visit HelptheTurtles.ca.
About the Canadian Wildlife Federation
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national, not-for-profit charitable organization dedicated to conserving Canada’s wildlife and habitats for the use and enjoyment of all. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on wildlife and the environment, carrying out actions to conserve and restore species and habitats, developing and delivering conservation education programs, advocating for changes to government policy and programs, and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.
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Contact: media@cwf-fcf.org
