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.
Gopher Tortoise Conservation Area: USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus
The University of South Florida’s campus in Sarasota has a 6.2 acre gopher tortoise conservation area that was established as an on-site relocation of gopher tortoises in 2004 when the current facility was constructed. The site is comprised of three plots totaling 6.2 acres east of the main campus building along N. Tamiami Trail connected via 3 eco-tunnels to provide safe passage of tortoise between the plots.
In 2016, the requisite permits and permissions were obtained by Dr. Edie Banner to conduct surveys, monitor the site, assess the suitability of the habitat and develop habitat protocols. The monitoring of the GTCA, overseen by Dr. Edie Banner, uses student volunteers, aka the Tortoise Team, to perform burrow surveys and biodiversity inventories, identify and remove invasive plants, and engage in research projects. This local protected area gives student volunteers a connection to nature and the environment creating a sense of place as they recognize the responsibility of engaging in the needs of the community.
In 2021, the Cross College Alliance’s Environmental Discovery Program provided four internships to engage students from local institutions in various experiences in the gopher tortoise habitat to learn about habitat management practices and conservation. This experience led the students to put forth ideas for opportunities to engage with local community members that would broaden awareness of the preserve and create a sense of understanding that their efforts will sustain the inherent biodiversity of this natural community and ensure the health of the habitat.
Hence, a proposal for the GTC Heinrich Environmental Education Grant was submitted to bring awareness of this valuable site to the local community. The Tortoise Team identified 3 approaches to connect to the community. First, signage to identify the habitat and provide cautionary information along the entrances to the campus along with an interpretive sign specific to the habitat on campus. Second, an art display to highlight the wildlife in the habitat and initiate interest installed in the student commons. Third, sharing experiences with the community via engaging activities held throughout April, beginning with our annual Gopher Tortoise Day event on April 10th to connect to the local community.
Identity, Caution, and Interpretive Signs
With three entryways into the campus, USFSM Campus Facilities provided basic signage at each entrance that identifies the habitat and provides cautionary information to ensure the safety of the resident tortoises. At other locations, regulatory signage was added to relay the protected status of the site.
Although the conservation area is at the main entrance to the campus, students and visitors do not realize that they are driving through a gopher tortoise habitat, much less are aware of the amazing wildlife that resides there. Thus, an interpretive sign was designed to illustrate the scrubby flatwoods plants and animals found in the site providing an overview of information about the tortoise habitat on the campus. The sign is portable to take to events and is housed in the Information Commons “Gopher Tortoise Corner” with brochures and informational flyers for visitors to campus.
Art Display in the Information Commons
The interns designed an art display of photographs printed on canvas taken from their documentation of the biodiversity in the habitat. Photography is a powerful tool to tell the story of the gopher tortoise habitat and this display will connect to the students conveying a sense of place and inspire students to become involved in projects or volunteer activities. The exhibit is mobile and is installed with the interpretive sign in the Information Commons.
USF Libraries: Gopher Tortoise Day, Week, Month, and Beyond!
Jessica Szempruch (USFSM Librarian) teamed up with the Tortoise Team in 2019 and has been a staunch supporter in expanding our annual Gopher Tortoise Day event at the Info Commons to a month-long series of activities that extends into the community. Jessica has transformed the Information Commons into a rich gathering place to learn about the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus’ Gopher Tortoise Conservation Area.
In preparation for Gopher Tortoise Day and Week, Jessica and the library staff designed promotional materials to post on Instagram, Facebook, and hallway monitors throughout campus to reach a larger audience. A showcase is set up in the rotunda throughout the month of April and a LibGuide was developed.
Visitors to the Information Commons during Gopher Tortoise Week experienced a photo journey through the gopher tortoise habitat. A series of posters on easels provide a pictorial tour of the gopher tortoise habitat as they are led around the rotunda portion of the Information Commons by the "Tortoise Team". Student research posters are on display throughout the week and visitors took a closer look at the tools used in the Tortoise Team's research.
During the event, the new interpretive sign, “Gopher Tortoise Conservation Area – A Scrubby Flatwoods Community” purchased with support from the Gopher Tortoise Council’s Donna J. Heinrich Environmental Education Grant, was unveiled along with the art display of canvas prints of inhabitants of the conservation area.
Informational brochures, flyers and activity books were provided and the movie, “Queen of Red Hill”, was shown on a portable monitor (snacks included). Volunteers are on hand to give brief tours of the habitat.
Those who felt inspired to contribute to scholarly conversation took part in a Wikipedia-edit-a-thon, geared towards improving Wikipedia pages around Florida nature topics. This was the perfect time to ask questions and uncover more details about these essential, but often overlooked, residents of our campus. Tortoise Team members provided great conversations about the gopher tortoise habitat and the opportunities to become engaged in local conservation efforts through research and volunteering. Library Archives visited during Gopher Tortoise Week and were inspired to do a Library Digital Special Collection and Oral History of the Gopher Tortoise Conservation Area.
Beyond Gopher Tortoise Day
Throughout the month, volunteers hosted tables at campus events, engaged students in field experiences, and visited elementary schools for reading day. A teacher ProjectWILD workshop was held that focused on conservation and field activities and Brownie scouts were assisted with their Nature Badges.
Bull-Pen Student Engagement Day:
To encourage students to become involved with the Tortoise Team, student volunteers set up a booth during the “Bull-Pen”, an event where student organizations learn about the different activities on campus. The Tortoise Team used this event to recruit student volunteers to help monitor the habitat with burrow and tortoise surveys, improve the habitat by identifying and removing invasive plants, and documenting biodiversity in the site.
Accepted Students “Experience” Day:
For students that have been accepted to USF, the campus hosts student “Experiences” Day where they get to join in activities available on campus. Ryan hosted the “shadow a gopher tortoise researcher” experience and took interested students into the habitat to assist in locating and documenting gopher tortoise burrows and check wildlife cameras.
Undergraduate Research and Internships:
Students volunteers ultimately become more involved in undergraduate research and summer internships. Student research and projects have been presented at the annual USF-SM Student Showcase of Projects, Research, and Innovation and at the annual conference of the Gopher Tortoise Council. Through these experiences, student volunteers become aware citizens and the informed decision makers of tomorrow.
Gopher Tortoise Readings at K-5 schools and activity books:
Many students have children or siblings in local elementary schools. Students in the Tortoise Team volunteered to read “Gus the Gopher Tortoise” at elementary schools during Gopher Tortoise Week and the libraries provided Srodes' Gopher Tortoise activity books to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students at two local elementary schools. One volunteer ended up becoming the K-5 Science Lab teacher!
Project WILD Workshop with a focus on field activities and conservation
A ProjectWILD (Wildlife In Learning Design) workshop was led by Dr. Banner and partnered with PAInT (Partners in Arts Integrated Teaching) for K-12 teachers and pre-service educators. The workshop a focused on WILD Field Activities and Conservation paired with Nature Journaling and PAInT. Participants learned about the tortoise habitat, ecosystems, and biodiversity using nature journaling to record observation and develop skills as a naturalist for a broader understanding of local natural areas.
Mentoring Brownie Scouts for Nature Badges
Tortoise Team members were invited to engage Brownie Scouts in activities to earn the nature badge: Shapes in Nature. This badge involves activities that introduced careful observation, collecting data, graphing and learning about symmetry.
The funding from the GTC Heinrich Environmental Education grant set the stage for engaging the student and local community with the USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Gopher Tortoise Conservation Area.
The Donna J. Heinrich Environmental Education Grant was established to support educators and organizations committed to developing educational projects about the gopher tortoise and the fascinating world in which it lives. The grant also honors Donna J. Heinrich, an environmental educator, whose life was dedicated to conserving wildlife and their associated habitats.