Media Release, Bruce Men’s Shed
Spring migration reminds us that warmer weather is approaching. This brings turtles out of the ponds, streams, creeks and rivers. Soon turtles will begin laying eggs in nearby sandy or gravelly spots, often along the edge of the roads.
Last year I spent some hours “turtling” which is, looking for signs of turtle nests and installing a “nesting box” over the site to protect it from nocturnal predators. Every morning we would find freshly excavated nests and the remains of 20 or more eggs that had been eaten. A number of times we were able to watch as a snapper or painted turtle dug the hole and laid eggs. We returned later that day to place a nest box.
Depending on weather conditions, the eggs incubate for 60-90 days before the hatchlings dig their way to the surface and head to the nearest water. In the fall I monitored the boxes to look for signs of an emergence hole.
The Bruce Men’s Shed can make and supply nesting boxes to groups interested, along with some assistance on finding nests, how to safely place the boxes and much more. There is a small fee to cover the cost of materials to make these boxes.
It is illegal to disturb a nest so please use caution. Parks Canada in Tobermory has a Naturalist assigned to turtle preservation and is a great resource for volunteers outside the park system.
If your community is in need of assistance please reach out to us to see what we can do. We are able to apply for grants to assist in community-based projects. Raised garden beds, wheelchair accessible picnic tables, and much more are in our “wheelhouse”.
Bruce Men’s Shed Recognized at Volunteer Recognition Day
On April 17 the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula held their annual Volunteer Recognition Day. The Bruce Men’s Shed received an award from the council. We were nominated by the Northern Bruce Community Support Advisory Action Committee (NBPCSAAC). We are very proud of everything we have accomplished in our first year.
On April 20 we celebrated our first full year of existence with a breakfast meeting. Our members baked and cooked what I call a “hearty” breakfast followed by a short meeting and time to chat.
Our monthly meetings are the third Saturday of the month. The next is May 18th from 9:00 – 11:00 am at Legion 202 on highway 6 just north of Ferndale. Doors open at 8:30. If you would like further information on how to get involved with the Men’s Shed movement, please don’t hesitate to contact the Bruce Men’s Shed at brucemensshed@gmail.com or call Gerry at (519) 793-3005.
