Our Priorities

Habitat Preservation and Expansion

  • Our primary objective at TTC is to preserve and expand natural habitats for gopher tortoises. We acquire and manage land to ensure these vital ecosystems are protected and maintained for future generations.

Research and Monitoring

  • To better understand and protect gopher tortoises, we work hand in hand with government agencies, biologists, and volunteers to conduct and support scientific research. This includes monitoring tortoise populations, studying their behaviors, and assessing habitat health.

Policy Advocacy

  • We advocate for policies that protect gopher tortoises and their habitats at local, state, and national levels. Our goal is to influence legislation and land-use planning to ensure the long-term survival of their species and their habitat.

Conservation Education

  • We are committed to educating the public about the importance of gopher tortoises and their ecosystems. Through workshops, school programs, online resources, and public events we aim to raise awareness and foster a conservation-minded community.

Sustainable Land Management

  • Implementing sustainable land management practices during inevitable urban expansion is essential for maintaining healthy tortoise habitats. We promote practices that balance ecological needs with human activities to ensure the preservation of these critical environments.

Community Engagement and Volunteerism

  • Engaging the community is crucial to our mission as a non-profit organization. We organize volunteer events and partnerships that encourage local residents to get involved in gopher tortoise conservation efforts and help whenever possible with our tortoise habitat restoration projects.

The Gopher Tortoise is a keystone species. By creating their burrows they provide shelter for over 350 other species, thus maintaining the biodiversity and ecological health of its surrounding habitat.

By becoming a member of The Tortoise Conservancy you sponsor not only an incredible gopher tortoise's rescue, but you also support the hundreds of other animals and insects so closely reliant on their existence.

Sponsor a Tortoise
Help Us Protect Them

Tortoise Tracks: Conservation Journeys blog

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  • Why Preserving Native Plant Species Matters for Gopher Tortoise Habitats

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    The health and sustainability of any ecosystem are rooted in its plant life. Native plants form the foundation of gopher tortoise habitats, providing essential resources not only for the tortoises...

    Why Preserving Native Plant Species Matters for...

    The health and sustainability of any ecosystem are rooted in its plant life. Native plants form the foundation of gopher tortoise habitats, providing essential resources not only for the tortoises...

  • Tracking Gopher Tortoises: Research and Technology

    Tracking Gopher Tortoises: Research and Technology

    Tracking Gopher Tortoises: Research and Technology |  Modern technology has revolutionized the study of gopher tortoises. GPS tracking, radio telemetry, and remote sensing are some of the tools used to...

    Tracking Gopher Tortoises: Research and Technology

    Tracking Gopher Tortoises: Research and Technology |  Modern technology has revolutionized the study of gopher tortoises. GPS tracking, radio telemetry, and remote sensing are some of the tools used to...

  • Gopher Tortoise Myths and Facts: Debunking Common Misconceptions

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    Gopher Tortoise Myths and Facts: Debunking Common Misconceptions |  There are many myths and misconceptions about gopher tortoises that can hinder conservation efforts. This article debunks common myths and provides...

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    Gopher Tortoise Myths and Facts: Debunking Common Misconceptions |  There are many myths and misconceptions about gopher tortoises that can hinder conservation efforts. This article debunks common myths and provides...

  • Creating Wildlife Sanctuaries: The Future of Gopher Tortoise Conservation

    Creating Wildlife Sanctuaries: The Future of Go...

    Wildlife conservation goes beyond the protection of individual species; it encompasses the protection of entire ecosystems that support a rich tapestry of life. One of the core initiatives of The...

    Creating Wildlife Sanctuaries: The Future of Go...

    Wildlife conservation goes beyond the protection of individual species; it encompasses the protection of entire ecosystems that support a rich tapestry of life. One of the core initiatives of The...

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As a non-profit organization our Mission is to locate, acquire, prepare and maintain as much suitable conservation land as as we can in order to protect this incredible species. We can then rescue, relocate, and preserve as many Gopher Tortoises as possible that are currently threatened and being displaced by ever increasing urban expansion and land development within their own natural habitats.

Please join our Mission by becoming a member of The Tortoise Conservancy. When you sponsor a tortoise with just $100 you cover the entire cost of one gopher tortoise's habitat preservation for an entire year.

Sponsor a Tortoise

Our Tortoise Preserve Sites Explained

Here Executive Director, Jim Stout walks you through TTC's Mission and how and why we do what we do. The Tortoise Conservancy has three methods of acquiring land for our gopher tortoise conservation preserve sites. Please listen to see if there is a way you can help.
 

 
Land Acquisition Method 1
One is to acquire the land directly through donations. With that method we are also responsible to take the land all the way through the site preparation and tortoise recipient site permitting process with the FWC. This method gives us complete control in the land preparation process and typically provides us higher tortoise capacity levels per acre. This is obviously the most beneficial method as it provides the opportunity to maximize the number of tortoises we can all rescue.
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Land Acquisition Method 2
The second method is by the generosity of land owners who are looking to provide a legacy from their family to the Earth we live on and the over 350 species that benefit from us protecting the gopher tortoise species. These land donations also provide these land owners with the incredible tax benefit of donating their valuable land to The Tortoise Conservancy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This second method of acquisition in most cases also gives TTC complete control of the land preparation and the ability to maximize the number of tortoises we can serve prior to permitting the site.
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Land Acquisition Method 3
The third method is to receive the honor of stewarding existing tortoise recipients sites in which the land owners also donate the land to the Conservancy. Most of the heavy lifting has already been done on these sites as they come to us already fully stocked with gopher tortoises awaiting our care.  This form of land donation is greatly appreciated by the Conservancy as well and is still eligible for charitable gift tax benefits.
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Have questions or own 50+ acres of land for consideration as a possible TTC tortoise conservation site, please contact us:

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Wildlife Sanctuary Land Acquisition Fund | "Turtley Enough?" t-shirt donation challenge

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$100 PREMIER Member (with T-Shirt gift) | 1 year Tortoise Sponsor
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