The 8th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles will be held August 16-19, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. The meeting is co-hosted by the Turtle Survival Alliance and the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG), with local support from Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We are pleased to announce that Zoo Med has once again pledged their support as Title Sponsor of the event, which promises to be our best yet! Click here if you are interested in learning about other sponsorship opportunities.
The meeting, which has hosted an average of 200 attendees over the past four years, represents the largest gathering of non-marine turtle biologists in the world and provides an unmatched opportunity for networking and strategizing turtle conservation. By bringing such a diversity of “turtle minds” together, the meeting is a catalyst for the creation of new programs, initiatives and partnerships. In addition, the meeting provides a venue for existing turtle conservation organizations to meet. The annual meetings of the boards of directors of the Turtle Survival Alliance, Behler Chelonian Center and Turtle Conservation Fund, as well as the TFTSG Steering Committee all coincide with the symposium each year.
Last year’s conference in St. Louis, Missouri brought together biologists, conservationists and enthusiasts from Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Germany, India, Italy, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, United States and Vietnam. New initiatives in Belize are on the horizon for 2010, and thus we are hoping to expand this list even further by inviting potential partners from South America to join us in Orlando.
A dedicated Program Committee works each year to bring together a wide variety of presentations from around the world, ranging in topic from captive husbandry to field techniques to conservation. This symposium also provides a venue for specialized symposia. During its seven-year history, symposia have included special sessions covering Alligator Snapping Turtles, Gopher Tortoises, southwestern Kinosternids and the genus Clemmys. The 2010 Call for Sessions / Workshops has been released and can be accessed by clicking here . Interested in presenting? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to e-mail Heather for more information.
This symposium represents an excellent value for meeting attendees. With a low registration cost that includes daily breaks with snacks, several meals, an icebreaker event and off-site special events, this symposium represents a bargain for meeting attendees. In addition, conference venues are selected where attendees can reserve rooms at reasonable rates. For many of our international presenters, travel grants are available to offset travel costs.
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