Gopher tortoise news ...

Nancy Richie offers an excellent article on Marco Island's gopher tortoises here:

http://coastalbreezenews.com/2011/05/05/the-gopher-tortoise/

And here's a report from a few weeks' back on Marco Island Academy's request to relocate tortoises:

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110415025

As soon as the FWC response to the request is made public, we'll report about it here on this blog.

Sea Turtles off to a Strong Start this Nesting Season

Read more here:

http://www.marcoislandflorida.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110509/NEWS0105/105090355/Turtle-nesting-season-off-strong-start?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

An important article for Marco Island nature enthusiasts

An important recent article in the Eagle makes clear that 40% of Collier County visitors are eco-tourists. How can Marco Island improve what it offers - not just in beaches and restaurants - but also in conservation and opportunities to experience wildlife?

http://www.marconews.com/news/2011/may/05/economic-impacts-local-economy-restoring-everglade/

Death Toll now reaches three

With two adult gopher tortoises being hit by cars in about a week, and just a few feet away from one another, we weren't expecting to hear that a third was also killed by a car just a block away, but a juvenile tortoise was hit and killed on Dogwood Drive earlier this week. Neighbors saw the accident and said that they've noticed cars driving with excessive speed in the neighborhood.

These three deaths raise some important questions for all Marco Island residents: are more signs needed in gopher-tortoise areas? Speed bumps? More public education? How can we take action to reduce this terribly high negative impact on our gopher tortoise population?

Sad news: 2 Marco Island Gopher Tortoises killed

The need for vigilance in protecting one of Marco Island's keystone species became all the more clear to me yesterday (April 13) just a block from my home. Just south of the intersection of Hawaii and South Barfield, a large female gopher tortoise was struck by a car and killed.

She was unmarked - meaning she wasn't part of Julie Ross's ongoing study. The loss of an adult female is deeply harmful to a small, isolated population with low reproductive rates and late sexual maturity.

I was telling my neighbor about this sad news this morning, and he told me he witnessed another gopher tortoise collision a week or so earlier, just across the street from the one I encountered. This means two gopher tortoises lost in close proximity in about a single week.

All this intensifies our need to discuss ways to protect gopher tortoises from roadkill and habitat destruction. We'll post photos (discretion required) at our website, http://sites.google.com/site/ecomarcowildlife/home.

Burrowing Owl Update

Thanks again to Nancy Richie for her fascinating presentation on Marco Island's burrowing owls, conducted on March 31 at an owl burrow on Cameo Ct.

Our group of owl-watchers shot photos and asked questions in the presence of a pair with eggs in the burrow on March 31. Nancy tells us that the two chicks (so far) have hatched are appearing at the burrow entrance now ... a welcome sight. If you'd like to see where you can view Marco Island wildlife like the burrowing owl and gopher tortoise, check out the map on our website:

http://sites.google.com/site/ecomarcowildlife/home/where-to-see-wildlife-on-marco

There's still room for you ...

Burrowing Owls - Field Trip, Thursday 31 March, 5 pm

Here's your chance to meet with Marco Island's Burrowing Owl specialist, Nancy Richie, at 5 pm at City Hall. We'll pack into a few cars and visit some active owl neighborhoods on the island. A great way to meet other folks who share your interest in nature, birds, Marco Island, and wildness in general. Space is limited. To register, please reply (below) with first name and number in your party.