CECI youths learn about gopher tortoises
On a recent January morning, 10 preschoolers from the Children’s Education Center of the Islands (CECI) joined Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) biologists to look for gopher tortoises. Children ages 2-4 learned what they need to thrive and their importance to the ecosystems.
The CECI students took part on a walk through the SCCF’s C.R. Johnston Preserve, which is closed to the public to protect wildlife. Thanks to weekly volunteer efforts, it is currently being enhanced to allow the resident gopher tortoises to thrive in their ideal coastal scrub habitat.
The SCCF reported that since the recent hurricanes, the preserve’s open, sandy upland — coastal scrub — environment that gopher tortoises rely on for burrowing, nesting and foraging has become overgrown with invasive and native-aggressive plant species.
For the past several months, the SCCF has been hosting volunteer events at the preserve to help remove the invasive plant species and thin overgrown vegetation, which will make way for the planting of native ground cover.
The preschoolers got the opportunity to learn why the newly restored habitat is important, and even got the chance to see a gopher tortoise through a scope that biologists carefully placed inside an active burrow. They also learned that gopher tortoises are a keystone species, meaning over 350 other animals use their burrows for shelter and survival.
The SCCF reported that by restoring and maintaining their habitat, it is not only supporting a threatened species but also protecting the broader biodiversity of the ecosystem and allowing the reptiles to thrive for generations to come.