In December 2016, managers of a St. Lucie County Habitat for Humanity project found that, while construction was halted for the holidays, some gopher tortoises took up residence on the construction site. EAI volunteered to help.

Our biologists discovered four gopher tortoise burrows during an initial survey of the construction site. Given the time of year and the minimum temperatures required to relocate, the excavations were delayed. However, by the first week of February, temperatures were just right and the four burrows were excavated utilizing a small backhoe. The three gopher tortoises were found and relocated nearby.