ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE
Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
Each year, the Turtle Survival Alliance joins with the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group to host the Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. The most esteemed global event of its kind, the Symposium provides an unmatched opportunity for those in our field to share their research, initiatives, techniques, and accomplishments.
ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE
Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
Each year, the Turtle Survival Alliance joins with the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group to host the Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles. The most esteemed global event of its kind, the Symposium provides an unmatched opportunity for those in our field to share their research, initiatives, techniques, and accomplishments.
Save the date
25th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
July 26 – 30, 2027
Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Turtle Survival Alliance and the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group invite you to join us for the 25th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles from July 26 – 30, 2027, in Jacksonville, Florida. Our partner, Jacksonville Zoo & Botanical Gardens, will cohost the event as our presenting sponsor.
2027 marks 25 years of turtle researchers and conservationists from around the world coming together to share their findings, build partnerships, and advance efforts to save the world’s most threatened turtles. The most esteemed global event of its kind, the Symposium provides an unparalleled opportunity for researchers, conservationists, and enthusiasts to exchange groundbreaking research, innovative techniques, and proven conservation successes from around the world.
The Symposium will offer three days of sessions, an Icebreaker, plenary and keynote sessions, an Awards Banquet, and more.
For all turtle biologists and conservationists, this is the annual event you do not want to miss.
Registration will open in early January 2027. Subscribe to our email list to stay up to date as additional details are announced.
Sponsorship
Become a sponsor and invest in the future of global turtle conservation!
Become a sponsor and invest in the future of global turtle conservation!
Your support not only strengthens the Symposium itself, it also helps shape the future generation of turtle conservation leaders. Each sponsorship provides critical funding for the event, supports travel grants for students and early-career conservationists from around the world, and advances science-based training and on-the-ground conservation initiatives that protect endangered species.
Through travel grants, we are able to bring voices to the table that might otherwise be excluded – field biologists, community-based conservationists, and emerging researchers working in biodiversity hotspots. Their participation strengthens global knowledge exchange, ensures diverse perspectives are represented, and accelerates solutions for species on the brink of extinction.
In 2026, TSA awarded travel grants to more than 100 participants from 19 countries, enabling them to share their work, build collaborations, and gain access to training that directly benefits conservation efforts in their home regions.
“I am heading back into the field with a fresh outlook and renewed enthusiasm for my research and conservation work. This would not have been possible without support from donors like you.” — 2026 Travel Grant Recipient
By sponsoring the Symposium, your organization demonstrates a meaningful commitment to collaboration, capacity-building, and long-term conservation impact.
Discover the full range of sponsorship opportunities and benefits in our 2027 Sponsorship Packet and join us in making a lasting difference. Can’t attend, or not ready to commit to a full sponsorship? You can still help sponsor a student’s travel to the Symposium by donating.
Can’t attend, or not ready to commit to a full sponsorship? You can still help sponsor a student’s travel to the Symposium by donating.
Past symposiums
24th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles
From August 3–6, 2026, the global chelonian conservation community came together in Guadalajara, México, for our first internationally held Symposium.
The 24th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles was hosted by Turtle Survival Alliance and the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, alongside this year’s host partner, the Guadalajara Zoo.Under the theme ¡Que vivan las tortugas! (“Long live the turtles!”), more than 120 presentations from 22 countries brought researchers, conservationists, students, and wildlife professionals together to share knowledge, strengthen collaborations, and build new partnerships for the future of turtle and tortoise conservation.
From hands-on workshops and mentorship opportunities to Zoo Day at México’s leading zoological institution, the Guadalajara Zoo, the event offered opportunities to learn, connect, and celebrate the people and progress that are moving chelonian conservation forward.
We are grateful to the following individuals and organizations, listed in alphabetical order, who made this event a success: Kristin Berry, Dallas Zoo, Desert Tortoise Council, Chelonian Research Foundation, Guangdong Juliu Pet Product Co., Ltd., John Iverson, Little Ray’s Exhibitions, Anders Rhodin, Robert and Tally Sinclair, Sonotronics, Brett Stearns, SWCA Environmental Consultants, Reid Taylor, Turtle Conservancy, Douglas F. Trainor, and two anonymous foundations.
We also extend our gratitude to our keynote speaker Oscar Flores-Villela and featured presenter Vivek Menon, as well as all of the presenters, workshop leaders, volunteers, attendees, and everyone who contributed to making this Symposium such a memorable one.
Congratulations to this year’s Behler and Pritchard Turtle Conservation Award recipients and Student Award winners, whose contributions continue to inspire the chelonian conservation community.
Read our blog for the full details.
