More enforcement to protect eight species of hatching or migrating endangered turtles is being sought by a group that protects the animals in Toronto parks.

Members of Turtle Protectors (TP) told a City Infrastructure and Environment Committee last month that all eight turtle species in Ontario are ‘at risk’ according to federal guidelines.

The Indigenous-led program members now have volunteers protecting turtles in seven parks and eventually hope to spread out to other parks.

“We are focused on reconciling human impacts on turtles by protecting their nests, helping turtles cross roads and helping hatchlings get closer to water so they don’t get crushed by feet, cars or bikes,” according to TP co-founders Carolynne Crawley and Jenny Davis.

The Turtle Protectors work hard to protect the turtles at Colonel Samuel Smith and some other South Etobicoke parks.

The group said many turtles are injured or killed by dogs running free in leased-required parks. They showed an image of a turtle being clawed by a feisty canine.

They also mentioned the many turtles being injured or killed from the hundreds of people attending High Park to view the popular Cherry Blossoms.

“While we monitor parks for nesting turtles and hatchlings we find ourselves having to ask so many dog owners to put their dogs on leash,” the committee was told.

Group members said High Park is important as it is home to an adult Blanding’s Turtle that is deemed a threatened species in Ontario and endangered in Canada.

Volunteers place wire nets over the eggs of the hatching turtles to prevent them from being stepped on or eaten by other animals.

More than 100 volunteers last year donated more than 2,000 hours of their time to help 880 hatchlings move closer to water, sat with 124 Mama Turtles and protected more than 70 nests.

The said efforts to educate people, enforcement and install fencing to protect turtles have not worked.