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Watch out for Turtles!

Painted turtle on the side of The Grade

7/4/24 – It’s nesting season for the turtles! If you have been up here in the past few weeks you might have noticed some turtle friends hanging out on the gravel roads around Sawbill like the Sawbill Trail, The Grade, Perent Lake Road, and Kawishiwi Lake Road. There are lots of painted turtles, but you might also see a snapping turtle. They often nest on the sides of gravel roads as they prefer areas with soft, loose soil or gravel so that they can dig a hole to lay their eggs. They also often cluster near water sources, so be extra careful and keep an eye out around rivers and lakes, but nests can be up to half a mile from a water source. The nests themselves are around 10-12 centimeters deep and the turtles dig them with their back legs. Please be extra careful when you’re driving to keep the turtles safe!! -Anna