Jeff Baker (GTC Junior Co-Chair)

I’m looking forward to working with the Gopher Tortoise Council as the incoming Co-Chair and am excited to be partnering with the current Senior Co-Chair, Kim Sash and the entire GT Executive Committee. My career as a biologist with Alabama Power has allowed me to work collaboratively conserving many of Alabama’s imperiled wildlife species. The gopher tortoise is one of those species that I’ve worked with over the last two decades.  Work with the gopher tortoise has included numerous surveys and sometimes relocations when necessary. I look forward to continued gopher tortoise conservation through work with the Gopher Tortoise Council.   

The Gopher Tortoise Council is blessed with an array of passionate, knowledgeable, and skilled people who are working diligently to conserve this important species. This work will continue into the future because of the Gopher Tortoise Council focus on support of students working in this field. Students benefit from the Gopher Tortoise Council through grant and annual meeting travel support. Ensuring that there are trained, involved people will help maintain protections for the gopher tortoise.

All this would not be possible without the continued support of all the members of the Gopher Tortoise Council. This support includes all the time you have committed to working collaboratively to identify threats and ways to address those threats going forward. Thanks to everyone who has supported the Gopher Tortoise Council financially. Continued gopher tortoise conservation will include identifying shared goals and working together to implement those goals.

Look forward to seeing you all in person at the next annual meeting November 14-16 at Tall Timbers in Tallahassee, Florida.

Thanks,

Jeff Baker