Protect 12 Gopher Tortoises and Scrub-jay Habitat

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO DECEMBER 15th:

HELP permanently protect 17 Gopher Tortoise burrows (12 tortoises are confirmed active), confirmed habitat for Florida Scrub-jays and other wildlife, native plants and trees - and the only undeveloped parcel left in the immediate neighborhood - by contributing to this 1/2 acre land acquisition fundraiser by The Environmental Conservancy of North Port And Surrounding Areas!

Gopher tortoise burrow locations on the parcel.

Check out this video on our YouTube channel recorded on September 13, 2023 of the Scrub-jays utilizing this parcel as habitat: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ezvqbx-3fOo

WHO: We are a 501c3 non-profit entity focused on acquiring and permanently conserving undeveloped natural land parcels in neighborhoods of North Port and its Surrounding Areas (Sarasota and Charlotte Counties) to provide greenspace for wildlife/native plants/native trees [aka nature] to continue thriving upon as it has for decades as our population continues to grow at a rapid pace.

WHAT: Lots 31 and 32 Barcelos Court/Copiapo Circle, Punta Gorda (Deep Creek) Charlotte County, Florida 33983 (1/2 acre).

HOW: RAISE $40,000 ($20,000 per lot) by December 1, 2023 to reach the purchase price goal. Donations can be made via this GoFundMe. Checks are also accepted, please make checks payable to The Environmental Conservancy of North Port, Inc. and mail to 3465 Alfred Road, North Port, FL 34286. Donations can also be made via PayPal on our website www.ecnorthport.com (please note that your donation is for the Deep Creek GoFundMe).

Deep Creek hosts a population of the Florida Scrub-jay, a threatened species rapidly losing habitat as our area's human population continues to grow. Once a building, earthmoving or tree removal permit is in process, U.S. Fish & Wildlife reviews the proposal and identifies potential negative effects to the birds. If impacts are identified, strategies for avoidance, minimization or mitigation of these impacts is required. In most cases, mitigation is required of the developer and development can then proceed. Examples of mitigation are habitat replacement at a ratio of 2:1 in the form of title to other occupied lands, conservation easements, purchase credit at a scrub-jay conservation bank, or payment to a State scrub-jay land acquisition fund which is used to purchase habitat elsewhere. Florida Scrub-jays are not relocated; instead as development continues, local neighborhood natural habitat for these birds is being slowly erased. Providing “stepping stone” habitat in Scrub-jay neighborhoods in the form of protected natural land parcels is the best way to help ensure they, and other wildlife, will always have a place to call home in Deep Creek.

Florida Scrub-jay - Photo Credit: Jim Rogers

Deep Creek also hosts a population of the Gopher Tortoise, a Florida threatened species. This 1/2 acre parcel has a total of 17 burrows upon it, 12 were confirmed active on last inspection. Gopher tortoises are long-lived reptiles dig deep burrows for shelter and forage on low-growing plants. Gopher tortoises can share their burrows with more than 350 other species, and are therefore referred to as a keystone species. Under State law Gopher Tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place, and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating tortoises. In the majority of cases, the tortoises are taken to other land parcels miles away known as “relocation sites”. Tortoises have a natural “homing device” and will attempt to escape the relocation site for extended periods of time. Some will become depressed; many will eventually fail to thrive.

Further, upon completion of a residence, few to no local native plants that once grew on the lot are replanted, and even if a local native tree is replanted (live oak, slash pine, sabal palm, scrub oak) it is common that those trees will not survive and grow to maturity. Replanting native trees/plants is something we always recommend, but replanting can never take place of conservation of an untouched natural environment.

Conserving natural land in our neighborhoods allows for the preservation/protection of, education about, and co-existence with, our local native flora and fauna and tree canopy.

Conservation of natural land amidst residential development preserves wildlife habitat, threatened and/or endangered species and biodiversity; maintains scenic landscape for people; helps reduce flooding; helps filter water/improve water quality; and maintains the tree canopy and native vegetation that serve as filters for our air. Conserving land increases property values near these greenspaces too.

In conclusion, protected greenspace in our neighborhoods benefits nature and humans alike!

QUESTIONS? Contact us at [phone redacted] or [email redacted] or visit our website at www.ecnorthport.com, Facebook at www.facebook.com/ecnorthport or Instagram www.instagram.com/npconservancy

Tax ID Number 84-4132468