SANIBEL, Fla. — If you've spent any time on Sanibel Island, you may have crossed paths with one of the island's well-known residents — the gopher tortoise. But the threatened species is facing new challenges as invasive vegetation grows over its habitat.
On Thursday, volunteers and staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation got to work restoring that habitat at the C.R. Johnston Preserve.
A group of about 20 SCCF volunteers and staff spent the day removing tall grasses, mother-in-law tongue, ragweed, and other invasive plants. The work is part of a habitat enhancement project SCCF launched in November.
"Gopher tortoises need a certain amount of cleared area," wildlife biologist Mike Mills said. "That allows their food source to grow, which is low-lying shrubs or grasses. It lets them do temperature regulation. They're cold-blooded animals — they need sunlight. And it gives them open area to dig their burrows."
The team's goal is to clear roughly one acre of land for the tortoises. So far, Mills says they are about 30% complete. A side-by-side comparison of the area before and after the effort shows a dramatic transformation.
Much of the invasive vegetation took hold after multiple storm surges in recent years.
"The storm surges not only kill off certain species, leaving dead vegetation, but they also spread seeds from across the island that wouldn't have gotten in here," Mills said.
While the current project aims to create a more welcoming habitat on Sanibel, the state-threatened gopher tortoise faces much broader challenges.
"The overdevelopment of Florida takes out areas where gopher tortoises really thrive," Mills said. "When you remove those areas, they are forced to move to places not as stable — like roadways — increasing their chances of getting hit by vehicles."
As a keystone species, the loss of even a single gopher tortoise can have significant environmental impacts. Nearly 350 other species rely on the burrows tortoises dig for shelter and protection.
SCCF hopes its project at the C.R. Johnston Preserve will help protect the island's tortoise population and restore an important part of Sanibel's ecosystem.
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