Volume 44, Number 1
Kim Sash (GTC Junior Co-Chair)
I’m very excited to be the incoming Co-Chair for the Gopher Tortoise Council and work alongside the current Senior Co-Chair, Eric Sievers. I have worked on gopher tortoises for many years in north Florida and south Georgia as a biologist with Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy. I’ve conducted gopher tortoise surveys and research on gopher tortoises, including pathogen studies. I’ve also helped to conserve gopher tortoise habitat through conservation easements. I feel very fortunate to be part of the Gopher Tortoise Council and I’m glad to know that gopher tortoises have an amazing group of people working to protect and study them.
I am also very proud of the way the Gopher Tortoise Council fosters the next generation of students working on tortoises and tortoise habitat. The Council offers several grants that assist students with research, outreach, and travel grants for our annual member meeting. Encouraging the next generation of biologists is incredibly important for the continued protection of the gopher tortoise.
Gopher tortoises face a lot of threats throughout their range. The Gopher Tortoise Council brings together brilliant minds working on gopher tortoises and the habitats associated with them to fortify the future for gopher tortoises. I want to thank our membership for their support and donations. The growth of the Gopher Tortoise Council is thanks to this support and our shared goals of gopher tortoise conservation.
I’m looking forward to seeing you all at our next member meeting November 15-17 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Best,
Kim Sash
Keep reading for the latest news and announcements from the Gopher Tortoise Council, including:
- Information on the 46th Annual Gopher Tortoise Council Meeting in November
- Call for nominations for 2024 GTC Service Awards
- GTC Membership information
- Solar energy and wildlife training in the southeast
Gopher Tortoise Council members voted unanimously to pass revisions to the organization's bylaws in April 2024. These revisions formally create the option for up to two Representatives (Co-Representatives) for each state included on the Executive Committee. You can review the updated bylaws here. Thank you to all members who participated in the vote to pass the revised bylaws.
Every year on April 10th, Gopher Tortoise Day is celebrated across the species' range by GTC members and other groups looking to highlight the importance of this keystone species. This year, we asked members to share photos and stories from their Gopher Tortoise Day shell-ebrations. Keep reading to see some of this year's festivities, and to get some inspiration for Gopher Tortoise Day next year!
Dr. Edie Banner (University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee)
Keep reading to learn about gopher tortoise education and conservation activities on the University of South Florida's (USF) Sarasota-Manatee campus supported by GTC's Donna J. Heinrich Environmental Education Grant.
Fairl Thomas (Florida Department of Environmental Protection)
In thanks to funding from the Donna J. Heinrich environmental education grant, park staff and volunteers at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park were able to purchase over two dozen native plants to be planted in the tortoise habitats for both the tortoises enjoyment and education of visitors. Keep reading to learn more about this project.
Don Stillwaugh (GTC Treasurer)
The Gopher Tortoise Council is looking to make annual meetings more sustainable and environmentally-friendly. Keep reading for more on this effort by GTC's Treasurer Don Stillwaugh.
Some recently published articles about gopher tortoises, their commensals, and upland communities in the southeast. Check out GTC's Education & Outreach page for more literature, including snake and tortoise bibliographies.