If you’ve spent any time on Sanibel Island, you may have crossed paths with one of the island’s well-known locals: the gopher tortoise. But the threatened species is facing new challenges as invasive vegetation grows over its habitat.
On Thursday, volunteers and staff from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation got to work restoring that habitat at the C.R. Johnston Preserve.
A group of about 20 SCCF volunteers and staff spent the day removing tall grasses, mother-in-law tongue, ragweed, and other invasive plants. The work is part of a habitat enhancement project SCCF launched in November…