Cottage Country’s oldest turtle is likely no longer with us.
Grace, who has made her home in a wetland near Dysart et al for at least a century, has been a common sight crossing the roads of Haliburton County since the 1970s. Leora Berman, founder of The Land Between and Turtle Guardians, says the one-eyed senior citizen has not been spotted in a while.
“We’ve had someone monitor the wetland all spring, and she would typically come out of hibernation the first few weeks of May,” says Berman. “Every year prior, it was May 19 on the nose, and she has not been seen. We didn’t have any confirmed sightings last year, so I don’t think there’s a lot of hope.”
While Grace was certainly getting up in years, Berman says she still had a lot of life left to live, as new science shows turtles can live well over 200 years.
“Grace was recognized across the world,” says Berman. “And losing a character like Grace, part of our heritage, is a real loss for the Highlands. Her minimum age we estimated at 150 years. She was the largest female snapping turtle we had on record.”
According to Berman, turtles nest in the same spots and take the same paths year after year, regardless of what might be in the way. She says the wetland where Grace likely lived has been partially filled in for development, despite efforts by local conservation groups and the community.
“Certainly she speaks to the value of wetlands, and our roles in terms of our municipalities and our councillors,” says Berman. “To protect our heritage and the really cool inhabitants of our community.”
While it may be too late for Grace, Berman says residents anywhere from Georgian Bay to the Ottawa Valley can help protect turtles by reporting them to Turtle Guardians at 705-854-2888.