The Calusa Herpetological Society Of Southwest Florida

Thursday, February 4, 2021 - 7:00 pm on Zoom

Chris Lechowicz from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) will give a talk and lead a discussion about the World Turtle Crisis and how it affects us locally in the United States and particularly southwest Florida.  Turtles and tortoises, as a taxonomic group, are in crisis mode throughout the world as increasing human populations have placed heavy pressure on many of the ~360 living species. Everything from development, road mortality, human food sources, traditional medicines, and turtle trafficking for the international pet trade are causing heavy damage to specific species, some of this damage is irreparable. What are the answers to helping these prehistoric creatures from going extinct in the next couple centuries in the wild? These answers are still being figured out, but maybe we can come up with some new ideas.

Chris has been an amphibian and reptile enthusiast since he was a young child.  This passion followed him to college and as a career as a biologist. He is the Director of the Wildlife & Habitat Management Program and staff herpetologist at SCCF.  He is the coauthor of the book "Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida and Amphibians and Reptiles of Sanibel & Captiva Islands: A Natural History". He is currently conducting research on Florida box turtles (Terrapene carolina bauri), diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin), and eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) in Florida. He is an active member of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialists Group (TFTSG), Florida Turtle Conservation Trust (FTCT), and the Turtle & Tortoise Preservation Group (TTPG). 

Zoom Link

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84071698688?pwd=dkk4SE02QW5jU2NWQitRb2l6bjAvUT09

Important, please read below.

This talk will be presented live on Zoom. Zoom is an app (program) that allows you to watch and participate in a live presentation. You can watch on any internet/Wifi based device such as a computer, smart phone, tablet, etc. You will be able to ask questions at the end just like our regular meetings if your device has a microphone. We will send a link for you to click on and enter the meeting. Please keep your microphone on mute through the entire presentation unless you are asking a question, then shut it off again. 

We will not be going to a restaurant for dinner, drinks, and discussions after the meeting, but you can do so in the privacy of your own home.  After the lecture/question section has ended, feel free to hang around on Zoom if you want to talk about other topics. This format is new for us, so let's see how it works.

Sincerely,

   The Board of Directors

 calusaherpsociety@gmail.com