Record Year for Endangered Reptile Recovery in Southern Ontario 

September 8, 2026

The Southern Ontario At Risk Reptiles (SOARR) Program, part of the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), is celebrating its most successful reptile incubation season to date, with a record 984 nests incubated in 2026, surpassing the previous record set in 2025 by approximately 200 more nests. 

Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle hatchlings in SOARR lab, photo by Laurissa Egan

The nests represented seven species of turtles and one species of snake. By the end of the field season, anticipated to be mid-September, SOARR will have released more than 16,000 hatchlings back into the wild, all successfully hatched in incubators. 

A major contributor to this year’s success was a record number of 458 Spiny Softshell nests collected from the Thames River. This is expected to result in the release of up to 7,000 hatchlings, providing a significant boost to one of Canada’s most endangered reptile species. 

“These results demonstrate what is possible when communities come together to protect species at risk,” said Scott Gillingwater, Species at Risk Biologist with the UTRCA. “Every nest protected and every hatchling released represents another step toward recovery for reptiles that face increasing challenges across southern Ontario.” 

The achievements of 2026 were made possible by a network of approximately 50 dedicated partners and volunteers, including Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Oneida Nation of the Thames, Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre, St. Clair Region Conservation Authority (CA), Dorchester Mill Pond Committee, Thames Talbot Land Trust, Ausable Bayfield CA, Kettle Creek CA, Catfish Creek CA, and many others. 

Releasing a turtle hatchling, photo by Laurissa Egan

SOARR also gratefully acknowledges the support of the federal Environment and Climate Change Canada Habitat Stewardship Program, the City of London, ZooCheck Canada, Sun Canadian, the Timothy D. Mayer Foundation, AISIN Canada, Karen and Eric Auzins, and countless community members whose contributions directly support conservation action. 

Despite the program’s demonstrated success and national leadership in reptile recovery, SOARR has been unable to secure provincial funding for its species at risk research and recovery work. As a result, much of the program’s conservation work relies on support from municipalities, organizations, foundations, businesses, and individual donors. 

For more than 30 years, SOARR has focused its resources on direct conservation action, from habitat protection and restoration to population monitoring, public education, nest protection, incubation, and hatchling release. The program is recognized as one of Canada’s most successful endangered reptile recovery initiatives and has contributed to the first documented increase in Canada’s Spiny Softshell population in more than a century. 

Community support remains essential to ensuring this work continues. 

To support reptile conservation and recovery efforts in southern Ontario, please visit: thamesriverdonations.ca/protect-species-at-risk 

Every contribution helps protect vulnerable species and ensures that conservation action continues where it matters most: on the ground, in our communities, and in the habitats these species depend on for survival. 

Media Contact:
Scott Gillingwater
Species at Risk Biologist, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

[email protected]
519-495-0400