Special Course
May 20,2005
The Citrus Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society in conjunction with the Ashton Biodiversity Rearsch and Preservation Institute will present the following program on May 20, 2005 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The program will be held at the Homosassa State Wildlife Park located in US Highway 19 in Homosassa.
There will be a $15 donation payable in advance. Please have your name and registration to us by May 12th.
Coffee, soft drinks etc will be provided. There are several fast food places within walking distance for lunch.
This program is open to anyone who has an interest in gopher tortoises and their problems here in Florida.
For further information please call Jim Bierly at (352) 382-3365.
"People and Gopher Tortoises, At Home and In Citrus County"
More citizens of Florida are becoming alarmed as the natural areas are disappearing and with them the wildlife that they care about. Among the animals that are stirring up concerns is the Gopher Tortoise. Called a keystone species because its burrow provides refuge for more than 400 species of wildlife, the gopher tortoise is at the forefront of the battle to save some of these habitats for the future. The program will talk about the new information that has been discovered about the gopher tortoise and then the talk will go into how people can work to save tortoises in the County without undue regulation and how to live with gopher tortoises in your community and your yards. There will be plenty of time for discussion regarding how to make this happen.
Ray Ashton, co-founder of the Gopher Tortoise Conservation Initiative, past chair of the Gopher Tortoise Council and the Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Species, and co-author of the new book The Gopher Tortoise, A Life History along with several other books on endangered species and reptiles and amphibians of Florida.
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