A Florida county just bought three island lots for $1.768 million — so the tortoises and owls get to stay

On Marco Island, Florida, the county commissioners just did something quietly wonderful: they bought land to protect animals instead of developing it. Three vacant lots — home to gopher tortoises and burrowing owls — were purchased for $1.768 million using conservation funds, and they'll stay wild. The same week brought more good news for the area's wildlife: the nonprofit Friends of Rookery Bay received four grants, including $50,000 for its shark and sea turtle programs. As its director put it, people come to Florida's coast for the beautiful coastal environment — and this is how it stays that way.