Peace River Refuge
We are working with landowners along the lower Peace River (Desoto County) to put their lands into conservation. This area is part of SWFWMD’s Lower Peace River Conservation Corridor Initiative and is a Florida Forever project. The Peace River is the principal freshwater source for Charlotte Harbor, Florida’s second largest estuary. Charlotte Harbor has been designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as a Class 1 Waterbody, an Aquatic Preserve and Outstanding Florida Water. The Peace River is the life line of central Florida – it is the watershed of the bone valley region and its health is directly related to the health of Charlotte Harbor.  A healthy, protected lower Peace River is therefore critical in light of the fact that the region’s primary land uses over the past century have been phosphate mining and agriculture.

The Peace River Refuge currently encompasses approximately 3800 acres along both sides of the River, from Arcadia southward. We are working with other landowners in the region as well, to assist in putting their properties under conservation

Gopher Tortoise Authorized Agent Classes
Wildlands Conservation has been certified by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to, in collaboration with the Ashton Biodiversity Research and Preservation Institute, to offer the training courses required to become an Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent. We teach surveying, marking, transport and release, capture methods, and mechanical excavation. We offer classes throughout the state and have conducted over twenty classes to date. The training courses are designed so that students get the needed field experiences, and gain a good understanding of gopher tortoise life history, the permitting guidelines, and gopher tortoise conservation. We also offer introductory classes on gopher tortoise natural history and ecology.

Please see our website for more information: gophertortoisetraining.org

Frog Listening Network
Amphibian populations are declining worldwide. We also believe that the best conservation is accomplished at the local level. The Frog Listening Network (FLN), a program that was conceived by the Hilllsborough River Watershed Alliance, is a means to that end.  Its goals are two fold.  First, the FLN trains all interested parties (environmental organizations, students, civic organizations, the public at large) how to recognize frogs both by sight and sound.  This increases the public’s awareness of their surrounding environs and an understanding of why frogs are important. Why are frogs important?  They are the “canary in the coal mine” – due to their amphibious nature, they are the first indicators when things go wrong in an ever-changing environment. Secondly, frogs make their presence know because of their species-specific calls.  The calls, of which there are 20 locally, can be easily learned by adults and children alike.  Our second goal, beyond public education, is to collect data on frog distribution within the Hillsborough River Watershed.  Through time, this data may assist us in making informed decisions related to land development, water use, and environmental land management. The repository for this data is the Water Atlas, an interactive environmental data base housed at the University of South Florida.

The FLN is the only group of its kind in west-central Florida. The Frog Listening Network has received several awards from the Governor's Council for a Sustainable Florida for Excellence in Environmental Education, Initiative, and Leadership in 1997, 1999, and 2001, respectively. The Southwest Florida Water Management District also recognized the Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance for Outstanding Leadership in Water Resource Education for its work through the Frog Listening Network in 2004.

Our presentations teach Volunteers how to identify amphibians both by site and sound. And while we do have trained Biologists collecting call data, one does not have to be a scientist to be a part of the Frog Listening Network. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. We provide free trainings complete with educational materials such as compact discs, posters, computer CD-ROMs, and full-color field identification cards to help individuals learn each amphibian species and their individual calls. We also teach individuals how to collect and record frog population data in a way that's fun and easy. Please visit the FLN website at http://hillsborough.wateratlas.usf.edu/FLN/Default.aspx for more information and to find presentations near you. 

The Effects of Flatwoods Restoration on Wildlife
In 1998, CF Industries underwent an experiment to compare various treatments in attempt to identify the most effective, timely, and cost efficient way to restore improved pasture to pine flatwoods, the native habitat type on six selected treatment areas. Throughout the restoration process, Wildlands Conservation implemented a survey method designed to determine the response of wildlife to the restoration of unmined improved pastures to pine flatwoods. Wildlands has been conducted surveys on each of the restoration units and compared them to reference sites of improved pasture and pine flatwoods.  Our objective is to determine if the treatment areas (restoration units) are approaching our reference control sites (pine flatwoods) in both species richness and relative abundance. Currently, we have embarked on a 3-year effort to intensify survey efforts by adding more trapping stations and reference sites.  We are currently surveying for birds, small mammals, large mammals, and herpetofauna.

ANNUTTELIGA HAMMOCK ACQUISITION
Wildlands Conservation is working with landowners and the Southwest Florida Water Management Disrict to link the Chassahowitzka State Forest along the gulf coast of Hernando County to the Withlacoochee State Forest in Citrus County through the Annutteliga Hammock. This geologically and biotically unique region, which extends across northwest and central Hernando County, is characterized by a combination of rolling long-leaf pine and turkey oak sandhills and hardwood forest covering steep sided hills and small valleys. This region hosts many rare plants and animals, including the Florida black bear, Sherman’s fox squirrel, and gopher tortoise. This population of black bear is the smallest in Florida and is critically dependent on the maintenance and restoration of biological connections to other bear populations.

Much of the region known as the Annutteliga Hammock site has been platted out in single family lots that are collectively known as the Royal Highlands, which was subdivided into thousands of ½ acre lots in the 1950’s. Fortunately for our efforts, most of the Royal Highlands subdivision has remained undeveloped, with just a few rural residents dotting the landscape. Unfortunately, however, many of the 1000’s of lots are owned by individual owners worldwide. Ideally, when the linkage is completed there will be an 80,000 acre block of contiguous protected native lands that not only provide refuge for wide ranging species, but provide great passive recreation potential. We will continue to improve upon this new corridor and to protect the highest quality remaining native habitat in this fast developing and fragmenting area.