Toronto’s Baby Turtles Crushed Under Cherry Blossom Crowds

It happens every spring.

Crowds flood into Toronto’s High Park, phones out, eyes up, chasing the perfect cherry blossom selfie. They don’t see what’s underfoot. Tiny hatchlings—Midland painted turtles—barely the size of a loonie, crawling through the grass, trying to reach water.

Some never make it.

In just a few days, volunteers found five crushed. Three more were injured, rushed to the Toronto Wildlife Centre. Their fate? Still unknown.

Carolyn Cwley, co-founder of Turtle Protectors, has been sounding the alarm. Her team of Indigenous and community volunteers has helped 53 baby turtles safely reach water this season alone. But it’s not enough.

“People are too busy looking up at the trees,” she said. “They don’t even know what they’re stepping on.”

The irony? Those cherry trees aren’t even from here. They were brought in. But the turtles? They belong. They’ve always been part of this land. And now, they’re dying for Instagram likes.

Turtle Protectors want more than thoughts and prayers. They want action. Clear signs. Education. Block off nesting zones when foot traffic is high. Stop putting aesthetics above life.

Want to help? Volunteer. Call city officials. Share this story.

Or just do one simple thing next time you go out there—
Look down.

If you spot a hatchling, call the Turtle Protectors hotline. A volunteer will come.
And maybe, just maybe, that little turtle will make it.