This year’s Oasis ZooRun is more than just a race—it’s a chance to step out of your shell and go the extra mile for wildlife. It’s about protecting Blanding’s turtles and ensuring this globally Endangered species doesn’t fall behind.

In 2012, as few as 10 Blanding's turtles remained in what is now the Rouge National Urban Park, placing this freshwater species on the brink of disappearing from the region entirely - one of the many reasons your Toronto Zoo’s Blanding’s Turtle Headstart Program is a critical conservation initiative worth supporting.

This program aims to release at least 50 juvenile turtles into the wild each spring and has successfully released more than 542 head-started Blanding’s turtles to date. Each of these turtles is incubated, hatched, and raised at your Zoo for 2-years to help increase their size and their chances of survival in the wild.

That’s why we’re inviting you to lace up, shell-ebrate conservation, and help us raise $110,000 to support your Toronto Zoo’s Blanding’s Turtle Headstart Program as well as the new home of the program located within the Community Conservation Centre. This dedicated space will serve as the hub for incubation, and care, while also giving guests the opportunity to see hatchlings and learn firsthand about the importance of conservation programs at your Toronto Zoo.