Keep reading for the latest news and announcements from the Gopher Tortoise Council, including:
- Last chance to apply for J. Larry Landers Student Research Grants
- Become a GTC member
- Student travel award and presentation grant winners
- 1st Annual Habitat Hustle at Alabama's Gulf State Park
Final reminder: J. Larry Landers Student Research Grant applications due Feb 5th
GTC will award 1-2 grants of up to $3,000 each to support student research in 2026. We welcome proposals from undergraduate or graduate students conducting original research on Gopher Tortoise biology/ecology or any other relevant aspects of upland habitat conservation and management within the range of the Gopher Tortoise. See our Grants page for application guidelines and other details.
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 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.
Congratulations to the Winners of this Year's Student Travel Grants and Presentation Awards!
GTC gave Bob Herrington Student Travel Grants of $250 each to all 13 student presenters to help cover their meeting expenses. This year's pool of recipients hailed from 11 different academic institutions in 5 states. Their participation and stellar presentations contributed greatly to making this such an informative and energizing annual meeting!
Three students were recognized with Joan Berish Student Presentation Awards for giving particularly outstanding talks:
1st place ($400) - Nicholas Canino (University of Florida) "Occurrence and genetic insights into the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae in a Florida population of soft ticks"
2nd place ($200) - Anet Filipova (Auburn University) "The effects of first year cold-dormancy on the phenotypic and metabolic responses in head-started gopher tortoises"
3rd place ($100) - Emily Mailhos (University of New Orleans) "Life history traits of federally threatened gopher tortoises at the western edge of their range: insights from camera traps and AI"
Hustle to Celebrate Tortoises in Alabama
The Friends of Gulf State Park Foundation will be hosting the first annual Habitat Hustle: Saving Alabama's Gopher Tortoise 5K and Fun Run on April 11th at Gulf State Park, in Gulf Shores, AL. Funds raised from the event will promote ongoing conservation efforts at the park, which was a recipient of GTC's Donna J. Heinrich Environmental Education Grant in 2024. Individuals or organizations interested in supporting the event can reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Sign up to participate (you can even run the race virtually!) here.
Ride in style and support conservation with the new Protect the Gopher Tortoise License Plate!
Hooray! 🐢📣 The time has finally come! Protect the Gopher Tortoise license plates are now available at tax collectors’ offices and tag agencies throughout Florida. We recommend calling your tax collector’s office or tag agency in advance of visiting in person to ensure that they have plates in stock.
Please read through the Frequently Asked Questions about the plate to learn how you can redeem your voucher and receive your plate!
In order to bring awareness to the plight of the gopher tortoise, Wildlands Conservation has created this specialty license plate and will use the generated funds for gopher tortoise habitat conservation, habitat management, education, and research. With your help, we can help protect gopher tortoises and their upland habitat! If you hold a valid Florida Driver’s License or have a Florida-registered vehicle, you are eligible to purchase vouchers for your car, truck, trailer, and RV! Plates can be purchased at any time–you do not need to wait until your registration renewal date to order one.
