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Professional Workshops & Cooperative Training Programs & Seminars
GTCI is working hard with the statewide stakeholder group and FWC to establish requirements for those people carrying out tortoise management. This is into response to the great concerns we have heard around the state that the lack of training is one of the greatest reasons for tortoise death and habitat loss. We will provide information about what recommendations the stakeholders are recommending.
We are now in he process of developing a series of courses that will assist individuals who wish to work with gopher tortoises in getting the training in proper techniques of surveying, excavating, trapping, handling, transport, development of relocation sties, evaluation of forage, monitoring, how to manage relocation sites and developing complimentary management on lands that have other uses besides tortoise relocation.
We also hope that we can provide proper training to those that work with FWC so they can work with landowners, the authorized tortoise representatives so that proper evaluations and decisions are made throughout the gopher tortoise conservation programs.
We are making every attempt to make the courses practical, economical and hopefully will meet the FWC criteria so people can receive certification.
Regards, Ray & Pat Ashton and Tammy Mayer
WATCH FOR NEW WEEK LONG APPRENTICE PROGRAMS.
Courses:
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PLANNING AND RUNNING TORTOISE RELOCATION SITES
This two day program is designed to work through the biology, the management, economics and a bit of the ways in which relocation may work in the new world of Tortoise Conservation in Florida.
THE BASICS OF TORTOISE MITIGATION, MONITIORING AND MANAGEMENT "Tortoise Boot Camp"
This course is designed to give consultants, agency personnel, donor site owners and relocation site managers a strong basic training in the fundamental and most important aspects of carrying out FWC required activities.
PLANNING COUNTY AND COMMUNITY TORTOISE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
We provide a number of workshops every year for various organizations, counties, and communities interested in becoming involved with the new FWC gopher tortoise relocation programs.
PLANNING AND RUNNING TORTOISE RELOCATION SITES
Note: The special session of the Tortoise Relocation Course has been moved to April 17-18, 2008.
This two day program is designed to work through the biology, the
management, economics and a bit of the ways in which relocation may work in
the new world of Tortoise Conservation in Florida. This two-day program
will work from scratch and cover the following:
Identifying relocation lands and then determining where the relocation site
should be.
Preparing the data for permitting and baseline monitoring
Total Tortoise Survey (GPS)
Forage analysis
Canopy cover analysis
Burrow site suitability
Wetlands and sites
Pasture sites
Estimating carrying capacity
Creating a restocking program for larger sites
Handling the actual relocation
Moving commensals
Contracts and money
Fencing
Monitoring
Standard monitoring
Health evaluations of tortoises and annual comparisons
Reactive management plans
Working with landowners
Budgeting and financing
Conservation easements
On site relocation
Burning and alternatives
Multiple use preserves
Who Should Take this Course?
This is designed for Landowners or Managers of land that are considering
relocation on their land. Consultants or Agency Personnel who are either
planning relocation as a business or they are overseeing tortoise
relocation activities. This is a growth business since the FWC is working
to save tortoises through various forms of relocation. The cost is $350
for non-members and $300 for members.
We are offering this two-day course at the Institute Field Station.
We hope to teach this workshop in other parts of the state. Check our web page frequently for co-sponsored programs throughout the state.
Dates for the program that will be taught at the Ashton’s Institute are:
April 17-18, 2008
August 14-15, 2008
September 11-12, 2008
Click here for Registration forms
THE BASICS OF TORTOISE MITIGATION, MONITIORING AND MANAGEMENT "Tortoise Boot Camp"
This course is designed to give consultants, agency personnel, donor site owners and relocation site managers a strong basic training in the fundamental and most important aspects of carrying out FWC required activities. The course is divided into seminars to give everyone the basic aspects of why we do these things the way we do. This is followed up by hands on experience in each area. The course is taught by the Ashton’s, a number of tortoise experts and highly skilled consultants. We are going to teach the most cost effective and accurate methods that we have proposed to FWC to follow in the new guidelines coming soon. These include:
Habitat Identification and Mapping
Burrow surveys
GPS data collection
Relocation Site Evaluation
Backhoe excavation of tortoise burrows
Humane care in handling, transporting and working with tortoises
Evaluation of Forage plant species, Canopy Cover
Identification of Nursery (hatchlings and juveniles) habitats
Planning Relocation Sites and how this relates to surrounding habitat
On site Relocation-planning and management.
Instructors include: Ray and Pat Ashton, JR Hand, Becky Bolt, Russ Elliott, Karoline Lopardo
For non-tortoise biologists we recommend obtaining a copy of The Gopher Tortoise and Life History, Ashton and Ashton, 2004, Pineapple Press. You can order one when registering or through your local bookstore.
The full program is 3 days in length. The cost per person is $550.00 per person for nonmembers and $500.00 for members of the ABRPI.
Dates for the program that will be taught at the Ashton’s Institute are:
June 25-27, 2008
July 23-25, 2008
Click here for Registration forms
PLANNING COUNTY AND COMMUNITY TORTOISE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
We provide a number of workshops every year for various organizations, counties, and communities interested in becoming involved with the new FWC gopher tortoise relocation programs. In the past during Incidental Take, counties not only lost tortoises but some have lost as much as $27 million dollars in fees charged from habitat loss that went to FWC. When these are hosted and we are just teaching, our fees are considerably less. We recommend that there be actually two workshops planned. The first workshop (or first day) is a Stakeholder Meeting to discuss all the alternatives under the coming new FWC management plans and how to establish a plan based on what the County would like to do. The second workshop (or second day) would emphasize on the details for relocation of tortoises, income planning for obtaining funds or lands from donor sites and utilizing fees to assist not only in restocking site with gopher tortoises and commensals but in sustaining good monitoring and management programs funded by relocation fees in a trust fund.
Please contact us for a consultation about your program, review of plans, or resolutions, rules, or to work with staff in creating a policy. Contact Ray Ashton (352)-495-7449 to discuss this or Tammy Mayer at (904) 982-4651 to organize a program or meeting.
DOWNLOAD CURRENT REGISTRATION INFORMATION AND APPLICATION FOR COURSES BEING OFFERED
If you prefer to pay online instead of mailing a check, please fill in your total after clicking the paypay button above. Just add up the total of the courses you wish to attend.
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