Keep reading for the latest news and announcements from the Gopher Tortoise Council, including:

• Become a GTC member
• Gopher tortoise license plate coming soon!
• Upcoming meetings of interest to GTC members
• Gopher tortoise day grant applications

Support GTC by Becoming a Member or Renewing Your Annual Membership

With Gopher Tortoise Day behind us, celebrate gopher tortoises all year long and consider joining the Gopher Tortoise Council by purchasing a membership or renewing your annual membership.  Membership revenue helps to fund gopher tortoise conservation programs and provide grants for graduate student research and educational programs across the southeast. 

Benefits include a subscription to the Gopher Tortoise Council's newsletter, "The Tortoise Burrow."

The Gopher Tortoise Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and tax-exempt organization (ID #59-2010727) and all contributions are tax deductible.

Membership Options:

$15 Student Membership

$25 Regular Membership

$40 Contributor Membership

$50 Society/Corporate Membership

$75 Sustaining Membership

$300 Lifetime Membership

Please visit our website (https://gophertortoisecouncil.org/support) for more information.

Gopher Tortoise License Plate Reaches Pre-Sale Goal!

We've officially reached 3,000 pre-sale voucher sign ups for the new Protect the Gopher Tortoise License plate! If you purchased a voucher, thank you for your support. Plates are being manufactured now and will be available at your local Tax Collector's Office for pickup soon. Vouchers are not available for purchase while the plates are being manufactured. Wildlands Conservation will post more information with instructions on exchanging your current plate when the new license plates are ready. For more information, visit https://wildlandsconservation.org/gopher-tortoise-license-plate.

Upcoming Meeting Opportunities for GTC Members

SEPARC Annual Meeting
March 13-16, 2025
Lake Guntersville State Park, AL
https://www.separc.org/2024-separc-annual-meeting-copy

Apply for a Gopher Tortoise Day Grant

The GTC Gopher Tortoise Day Grant was established to support educators and organizations that would like to develop a program or need funds to participate in Gopher Tortoise Day, April 10th. The goal of Gopher Tortoise Day is to increase awareness and appreciation for these long-lived, gentle reptiles. To apply, please submit the Gopher Tortoise Day Grant Application. Grant amounts awarded vary from year to year (with a maximum of $1,500 per proposal), depending on the number of donations received. A project summary for “The Tortoise Burrow” newsletter or either a presentation or poster at the following year’s GTC annual meeting will be required.

The deadline for proposals each year is March 15th.

Please send submissions and questions to Amanda Hipps at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.