Lean about gopher tortoises and the CLT Saturday
Join members of the Calusa Land Trust and Florida Fish and Wildlife at the Wigert-Barron Preserve on Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to noon for a free, family friendly event all about gopher tortoises. CLT will debut a StoryWalk featuring children’s’ book, “Gus the Gopher Tortoise” by Thomas Kibalo at the Wigert-Barron Preserve in Bokeelia. The StoryWalk will remain on display for the month of April, but April 11 will be an opportunity for the first 25 families to win a copy of the book and to play an “I Spy”-type scavenger hunt to identify some of the plants and butterflies that can be seen at Wigert-Barron Preserve.
Gopher tortoises are a threatened species in Florida and are described as a keystone species because they provide habitat for up to 350 other species. Wigert-Barron Preserve has at least 20 active gopher burrows so this preserve and the topic of gopher tortoises are a natural fit for the Calusa Land Trust. Kibalo gave CLT permission to display his book and was excited about the prospect of having his book translated into Spanish.
CLT is grateful to Nancy D. Cote, executive director of the Beacon of Hope, for her expert translation services. CLT received grant funding from LCEC for costs incurred to mount this StoryWalk.
The concept of “StoryWalk®” was created in 2007 and remains a registered service mark of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in Vermont. StoryWalk now exists across the U.S. and worldwide in 13 countries (storywalk@kellogghubbard.org).
The purpose of the Calusa Land Trust is to protect the natural diversity and beauty of the Pine Island region by acquiring, managing and preserving in perpetuity environmentally sensitive or historically important land and to foster appreciation for and understanding of the environment and our past. Developing and hosting a StoryWalk at Wigert-Barron Preserve is part of CLT’s larger mission.
Wigert-Barron Preserve is located at 7124 Barrancas Ave., in Bokeelia. Visitors will park on Barrancas Avenue. This event is free and the greater Pine Island community is invited to attend this family-friendly event. Refreshments will be available.