Highest turtle road mortality ever documented - Tallahassee, FL
Web Exclusive Article!
Matthew Aresco, a 4th year PhD student in the Department of Biological Science at Florida State University, has been involved in a turtle rescue project at Lake Jackson (near Tallahassee) for the past several years. Read this article to learn about this tragic situation and what Matt has done (and is doing) to help save wildlife

Also, please visit Matt's web site and read more about what you can do to make the Lake Jackson Ecopassage a reality (and all of Matt's efforts worthwhile).


Rural Landowners!
Do you own land, cherish a rural way of life, and care about wildlife?
printed in the Jan/Feb 2002 Central Florida Sierran
Believe it or not, there is a way YOU can help protect your rural land, save a listed species, and even make money at the same time. If you have property on high and dry uplands (pasture or woods) and is at least fifty acres in size, then your land may qualify to become a Gopher Tortoise Recipient Site.
The gopher tortoise (gopherus polyphemus) is listed as a Florida "Species of Special Concern" and plays an important role in upland ecosystems. Individuals dig burrows that are shared by many other animals, including endangered species. When property is developed, one must either mitigate for individuals lost, relocate tortoises to sufficient protected habitat on-site, or relocate to an approved recipient location off-site. Off-site recipient land owners typically receive $250 or more per tortoise relocated in exchange for agreeing to maintain their property as tortoise habitat.
Within the Wekiva River Protection Area of Seminole County, gopher tortoises moved from land to be developed must be taken to a recipient site that is also within the Protection Area. To help facilitate this, the county is presently developing a database of potential recipient locations in the Wekiva area, a region that includes portions of Seminole, Lake, and Orange counties. If you own or know of land that you think may be suitable tortoise habitat, then please contact Keith Schue (352-383-3085) or Andrea Holman (407-699-6030).
map of Wekiva River Protection Area

 

We're sorry you missed the presentation on:Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative
If you were unable to attend our last general meeting on The Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative (GTCI) program, you missed a great presentation.
Ray Ashton of the Ashton Biodiversity Research Institute shared his observations on the habits and tendencies of gopher tortoises, from how they dig their burrows to their food preferences. For example, gopher tortoises are "cows in shells"; they graze on plants and grasses. Ray showed a great picture of a pasture where the grass was long...except where a gopher tortoise grazed. Ray's studies showed that the grazed area kept virtually the same size and shape...even after several years!
He also described some key problems with gopher tortoise conservation and relocation.

Some volunteer activities include:
  • Helping small & large landowners create land management plans that will keep the habitat suitable for tortoises, which can be accomplished in such a way as to maintain the habitat for upland wildlife (including game species).
  • Offer guidance for small landowners who co-exist with gopher tortoises
  • Educate Homeowners Associations who have conservation or mitigation properties they must manage.
  • and much more
 
Currently, Central Florida does NOT have an active GTCI program, but interested people are encouraged to get involved. For more information, please visit the website for Ashton Biodiversity Research Institute at http://www.geocities.com/ashtonbiodiversity/