2026 Roles

Pippette and Maricella hold 2026 MNR permit via Scales Nature Park and are your on-hands Turtle Tias that will respond to sites within Aurora.

Wendy is an observer primarily focused on activity in one area, as well as our data tracker, research writer and ensures that communication with all our partners, Toronto Zoo, UofT, LSCA, Town of Aurora, etc have up to date information on all our efforts.

Article from The Auroran, Jan 9, 2020

Pippette - Founding Member

“Turtle Tias” made difference for local wildlife

By Kinjal Dagli Shah

Original Founding Members (Left to Right):

Pippette Eibel

Flo Leava

Rebecca Prins

Samantha Hancock

Maricella Sauceda

Wendy Kenyon

Pippette Eibel, who lives in the Henderson Drive area, remembers a disturbing sight from a couple years ago when multiple turtle hatchlings ended up dead while crossing the road.

She got together with another local resident, Wendy, and began organizing a volunteer network to help protect the turtles.

Another resident, Maricella Sauceda, was witness to similar incidents over the last couple years and ran into Eibel while walking her dog.

“Once you see an injured turtle, there’s no going back. Your focus shifts and then you start becoming their advocate,” said Sauceda.

Armed with a bunch of volunteers, along with help from conservation experts at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre (OTCC), the women began organizing their efforts in order to save the turtles from getting killed on the road.

They identified turtle areas, marked and dated the nests, installed barriers to prevent turtles from venturing on the road, put up signs, and protected the eggs with nesting cages, all while creating a phone and volunteer network that would watch the nests and even drive injured babies to the OTCC in Peterborough.

“Wendy has been instrumental in our rescue efforts. We’ve identified two species in the area – snapping turtles, which are an at-risk species, and Midland painted turtles. They have a short mating season during which time, beginning the end of May, they tend to follow a path and cross the road looking for mates,” explained Eibel, adding that it’s important to redirect the turtles for their safety.

The group’s efforts paid off, and they were able to protect several nests. “This year, we have released over 150 snapping turtles from the six nests that have hatched,” said Eibel, a mother of two who didn’t know anything about turtles until she got involved a couple years ago. “I’ve always been an animal lover and have worked with dog shelters in the past. Now I’m one of the crazy turtle ladies,” she said, laughing.

Eibel admits the undertaking was huge and wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers. “So many names comes to mind but Florence, Rebecca, Marnie M, Irene and Samantha have all been instrumental in helping save the turtles.”

The bunch of women call themselves Turtle Tias (aunts), and take great pride in the grass roots movement that they furthered this past year.

“My hope is that we continue to help protect all of our species at risk (Species of Special Concern) in Aurora. We hope to grow our volunteer network and to grow our ‘Turtle Tias’ throughout Aurora. We know there are more turtle areas in Town that have not been identified,” said Sauceda, who owns Love4Dogs, a pet care service.