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Key Message Contact: Scott@dobson.tv 416-522-5524 Most freshwater turtle species in Canada are at risk. Habitat destruction, car and boat hits, accidental catch, predator attacks, malicious humans; turtles face truly staggering odds. For example only one snapping turtle in 10,000 will survive to adulthood The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre is trying to tilt the odds back. Key Quotes Turtles are vital for biodiversity, and for the scientific secrets they hold. We like to think we are saving the world one turtle at a time. My turtle medicine can be broken down to various degrees: we can use the high tech, the endoscopes and the orthopedic equipment, but we can also use a lot of duct tape. And crazy glue. It's amazing how much you can do with just things from any hardware store. Their healing ability needs further research, and the implications could be huge for reptile medicine. And in fact, for all medicine. The scientific name for turtles is the chelonians. We have an expression at the centre that if a person is sick, or feeling down, they can come in for their chelonian therapy. Working with turtles is uplifting. It s therapeutic. :Dr. Sue Carstairs The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre 2
Fix and Release Synopsis Fix and Release explores a small turtle trauma centre in Peterborough Ontario Canada as it fights to even the odds for survival that freshwater turtles face in a modern world. This visually beautiful film shows turtles in a way that few have seen before. Fix and Release Synopsis (Longer) Fix and Release explores the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre, a small turtle trauma centre in Peterborough Ontario Canada as it fights to even the odds for survival that freshwater turtles face in a modern world. Most turtle species in Canada are endangered due to loss of habitat and collisions with cars and boats. Dr. Sue Carstairs leads a team of dedicated staff and volunteers as they develop their own groundbreaking approach to reptile medicine. This visually beautiful film shows turtles in a way that few have seen before - highlighting their amazing ability to recover from catastrophic injury and hinting that these ancient creatures may be more complex than previously thought. Turtles are vital for healthy wetlands and every saved turtle makes a difference. As Dr. Carstairs says, We are saving the world one turtle at a time. Director Statement Putting broken turtles back together, letting them heal, and then releasing them back into their wetland homes touches something very deep. I have experienced it first hand. It's a ton of fun, there is the satisfaction of helping an ancient species survive, and it s a spark of hope in what often appears overwhelming environmental darkness. At the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre they do this every day. Lucky them. Turtles have been doing the same things for a very very long time. Its how they have survived. But today their greatest challenge is the impact that humans are having not only on their environment but also on their eco passage, that is their basic instinctual mobility. Our roads and use of waterways dissect their trails often with deadly results. Turtle trauma surgery is something that most people have never heard of but it serves as a great inspiration to get involved and have a positive impact on our world. If we protect turtles then they will help protect the water. The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre does more than just put turtles back together. They train other facilities; they do educational outreach, and are involved in finding ways to help turtles have save passage. There are lots of ways to help turtles no matter where you live. I hope the dedication you see in this film inspires you to find out what you can do to help and then I will say, lucky you! 3
The Setting Located 150 km northeast of Toronto Canada at the southern edge of the Canadian Shield is the The Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre. The goal of this registered charity is to protect and conserve Ontario s native turtles and the habitat in which they live. They accomplish this by operating a turtle trauma hospital that treats, rehabilitates, and releases injured turtles. When possible the eggs of deceased turtles are harvested, hatched, and released after 2 years. The trauma facility devotes most of its space for turtles to heal on their own time in a supervised but calm environment. The OTCC performs extensive research in the field to further conservation initiatives, and runs a comprehensive education/outreach program. It is the only facility of its kind in Canada. OTCC strives to increase awareness of the challenges facing Ontario s turtles and to inspire individuals to act; one person truly can make a difference! The OTCC traces its origins to the year 1999 when a group of children aged 3 to 10 called Kids 4 Turtles raised money to make and install turtle crossing signs because they were concerned that too many turtles were being killed by cars. The success of the children directly lead to the creation of the OTCC. The Main Character Dr. Susan Carstairs DVM Executive and Medical Director OTTC Dr. Carstairs joined the OTCC team as the veterinarian of record in 2009. She is an authorized wildlife custodian with over 20 years of experience in wildlife medicine. In addition to the OTCC she works at the Toronto Wildlife Centre and is a professor at Seneca College Toronto where she teaches courses including Exotics and Wildlife to future veterinary technicians. The OTCC relies on a network of volunteer turtle taxi drivers to bring injured or recently dead turtles from across the Province of Ontario to the trauma hospital. These same volunteers will one day help return these turtles to water within 1 km of where they were first rescued. A few turtles have even come from as far away as Manitoba and Quebec by airplane. As Sue says in the film, reptile medicine is still in its infancy. She and her team of volunteers have developed their own protocols for the treatment of turtle trauma. In many cases they have found that the simpler the solution the better the chances of survival. The techniques they have pioneered are now being taught to rescue centres, wildlife officers, and zoologists. 4
Dr. Sue Carstairs performs surgery on a snapping turtle. 5
Director Bio: Scott Dobson Scott Dobson is an award winning Producer/Director with over 25 years experience in documentary filmmaking. Most recently he directed Puffin Patrol and Carpe Diem, for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation s The Nature of Things. In 2016 he was story editor for Viceland s new documentary series Payday. In 2012 he directed Church Of Elvis; a 3-hour look the spiritual world of Elvis Presley, and its sister show, Elvis In Love. Prior, he produced the very successful spam: The Documentary for CBC Newsworld, which was broadcast around the world. As Producer/Director he created the award-winning Keep On Shucking documentary for Food TV Canada/US, produced many projects for the famed Second City in Toronto and Chicago; from TV spots, to documentaries to the critically acclaimed re-release of the beloved SCTV TV series onto DVD for the first time; a massive project taking 4 years to complete. He also produced 2 series exploring modern Canadian Jazz and Blues, the latter was nominated for the prestigious WC Handy Award by the Memphis Blues Society. Photo on next page. 6
Director Scott Dobson 7
Production Team Director Scott Dobson Producers Jono Nemethy Scott Dobson Director Of Photography Juan Montalvo Sound Recordist Daniel Hewett Igal Petel Editor Celest Natale Assistant Editor Mary Komech Story consultant Carole Larsen Original Score Michael Phillip Wojewoda Drone Cinematography Monkey & Machine Productions Monica Blaylock Camera Ops Maxx Lennox and Rob Massie Produced with a grant awarded by BravoFACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) A division of Bell Media Inc. www.bravofact.com Copyright Junction Box J Inc. 2016 8