Queen of Red Hill

This is a film about the Gopher Tortoises of Red Hill at Archbold Biological Station. The star of the show is a female tortoise first measured by Dr. Jim Layne in 1968. That was the year Layne, Archbold’s first Research Director, began the long-term study of tortoises on Red Hill. Known as the ‘Queen of Red Hill’, this long-lived tortoise has presided over her sandhill kingdom for more than six decades. However, the Queen and other Red Hill residents came close to losing their unique home. The Gopher Tortoise natural history will fascinate you while being inspired by the vision and dedication of some special people who made this story possible. This is a story about time, then and now. The deliberate pace of a tortoise. Measured against the speed of human activity and change. Right here in the heart of Florida.