My research approach focuses on the presence of turtles at different times during the day at the two lagoons located at the Niagara College campus. I hypothesize that there will be a greater abundance of midland painted turtles present during hours of daylight, when the temperature is warmer, and the sun is out. Some of the ecological processes that this hypothesis touches on are turtle activity, feeding times, and predatory behaviours and habits. Some of the ideas that underpin my research are turtle identification, the function of lagoons as an ecosystem, Niagara Colleges efforts to support the turtle population in its lagoons.
Key words: turtle abundance, seasonal patterns, hourly patterns.