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.
Turtle Survival Alliance
24th Annual Symposium August 3-7, 2026 Guadalajara, Mexico
Join us next year in Guadalajara, Mexico!
For our first-ever international conference, the 24th Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles will take place August 3–7, 2026, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This year, we’re proud to partner with Guadalajara Zoo.
The most esteemed global event of its kind, the Symposium, hosted by Turtle Survival Alliance and the IUCN SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, provides an unmatched opportunity for researchers, conservationists, and enthusiasts to share groundbreaking research, innovative techniques, and proven conservation successes from around the world.
In the coming months, this webpage will be your go-to source for updates on registration, agenda details, abstract and session submissions, lodging information, and more.
We can’t wait to welcome you to Guadalajara next August for this extraordinary gathering of conservation leaders and thinkers. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more updates!
Turtle Survival Alliance
24th Annual Symposium August 3-7, 2026 Guadalajara, Mexico
Join us at the Fiesta Americana Guadalajara for an exciting program featuring three full days of presentations, panel discussions, networking opportunities, social events, and engaging interactions focused on turtle conservation.
A variety of ticket options will be offered, including:
- Full-conference registration (includes pre-conference workshops, Icebreaker Social, presentations, and the Awards Banquet)
- Presentations-only tickets
- Add-ons for the additional Icebreaker and Banquet tickets for family and friends
- Add-on Symposium T-shirt and Field Trip options
- All full-conference registrations include access to pre-conference workshops on August 3rd
- Turtle Survival Alliance members (at the Supporter level or above) receive reduced registration rates, and this year, we’re making it even easier for non-members to save with an add-on membership option during registration.
Early bird registration ends at 11:59 pm on June 15, 2026—rates will increase after this date.
Lake Chapala Mud Turtle (Kinosternon hirtipes chapalense). Photo by Rodrigo Macip
Accommodations
2026 Symposium Hotel: Fiesta Americana Guadalajara
Fiesta Americana Guadalajara offers a comfortable, welcoming stay that highlights the vibrancy of Mexico. The hotel blends modern amenities with subtle local touches, creating an inviting and relaxed atmosphere. With comfortable rooms and an emphasis on local hospitality and flavors, it provides a pleasant, authentic experience for conference guests.
Inside the hotel is an exclusive restaurant featuring culinary wonders offered by the region. You can also try a unique collection of select tequila and a wide variety of national and imported wines in the lobby bar.
More information on booking will be available soon.
Sponsorship
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 2025, TSA awarded travel grants to more than 50 participants from 20 countries, enabling them to share their work, build collaborations, and gain access to training that directly benefits conservation efforts in their home regions.
“The Turtle Survival Alliance travel grant made it possible for me to attend the 23rd Annual Symposium on the Conservation and Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles in Tennessee. This support allowed me to present my master’s thesis research to an international audience of leading turtle specialists. Through this opportunity, I received valuable feedback, learned about diverse research methodologies and ongoing work worldwide, and established new potential collaborations.”
— Fernando Daniel Antelo Barbosa, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
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 2026 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.
Call for Abstracts & Travel Grants
This is your chance to tell us why YOU should present your findings, accomplishments, and techniques to the largest gathering of tortoise and freshwater turtle specialists in the world.
Turtle Survival Alliance is committed to enabling international participants, students, and individuals from diverse backgrounds to attend and present at the Annual Symposium. Both oral and poster presentations are eligible. To be considered for a travel grant, you must submit an abstract for consideration.
Please contact Jordan Gray, External Relations Manager, at jgray@turtlesurvival.org for any questions in the meantime.
Symposium T-Shirt Contest
Calling all creatives! We’re launching our Symposium T-shirt Design Contest and looking for original designs that blend turtles and the vibrant spirit of Mexico. Deadline to submit your artwork is March 30, 2026. Explore the content guidelines, rules, and submission form here.
Call for Workshops & Sessions
Photo by Samantha Stephens
The Annual Symposium is a unique forum for sharing expertise, building skills, and exploring the latest research and techniques in tortoise and freshwater turtle conservation. We invite individuals and organizations from around the world to submit proposals to lead sessions or workshops for this year’s Symposium.
Sessions
Our Program Committee is assembling a diverse slate of sessions spanning topics such as status assessments, ecology, captive husbandry, field techniques, conservation actions, emergent diseases, veterinary practices, detection methods, and conservation technologies. Session proposers are expected to serve as Session Chair, organize 5–8 confirmed presenters, and ensure all participants submit abstracts and register by the required deadlines.
Workshops
Workshops offer hands-on, interactive learning experiences and typically run 1.5 hours. Past workshops have covered topics, including care and recovery of confiscated turtles, wildlife photography, 3D printing and photogrammetry, behavior change campaigns, field necropsy and sample collection, wildlife fencing solutions, scientific writing, grant writing and management, drone applications for research, and combating wildlife trafficking.
Session and workshop proposals are due no later than 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time on Monday, March 16, 2026.
To propose a workshop, please email Jordan Gray at jgray@turtlesurvival.org with the subject line “Symposium Workshop Proposal”.
To propose a Session, please email Jordan Gray at jgray@turtlesurvival.org with the subject line “Symposium Session Proposal”.
Thank you to the following Sponsors for making this event possible:
Tennessee Aquarium
Presenting Sponsor
Anonymous
Guardian Level
Stuart Salenger
Bale Level
Chattanooga Zoo
Bale Level
Schedule
Each year, the Symposium delivers a diverse range of programming designed to inspire and inform. Attendees can participate in engaging scientific sessions, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and group experiences that provide hands-on conservation experiences.
Highlights include:
- Six days of activities, three full days of sessions with 15+ session tracks featuring up to 150 presentations, delivered by more than 100 speakers and poster presenters from around the world
- Pre-conference group experiences (7/20) and specialized workshops
- Kick-off Icebreaker Social at the Tennessee Aquarium
- Poster Session Social, Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® event, and book signings
- Awards Banquet Dinner
- Post-conference Zoo Day at the Chattanooga Zoo
Please see the Schedule At-a-Glance below for a general overview of events. Click below to view the full schedule for the event.
Know Before You Go
Sunday, July 20, 2025
- 8 AM – 5 PM: Turtle Survival Alliance Board Meeting (by invitation only)
- 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Group Experience with the Chattanooga Ducks
Monday, July 21, 2025
- 8AM – 5:30PM: Consecutive Workshops at Tennessee Aquarium
- 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM: AZA SAFE Radiated Tortoise Meeting (invitation only)
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: Turtle Conservation Fund Meeting (invitation only)
- 12 PM – 2:30 PM: Wet Lab: Field Necropsies and Sample Collection/Handling in the Field at Tennessee Aquarium
- 6 PM – 9 PM: Icebreaker Social at Tennessee Aquarium
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
- 8 AM – 4 PM: Plenary Session at Chattanooga Convention Center
- 4 PM – 6 PM: AZA SAFE Radiated Tortoise Meeting continued (invitation only)
- 6 PM – 10 PM: Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® Event in Downtown Chattanooga
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
- 8:30 AM – 4 PM: Concurrent Sessions at Chattanooga Convention Center
- 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM: TFTSG Leadership Committee Meeting (by invitation only)
- 5 PM – 6 PM: Book Signings
- 5 PM – 7 PM: Poster Session Social
- 8 PM – 9:30 PM: Movie Night: Turtle Documentary Screening
Thursday, July 24, 2025
- 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM: Concurrent Sessions at Chattanooga Convention Center
- 5 PM – 6 PM: Behler Award Social (by invitation only)
- 6 PM – 7 PM: Awards Banquet Cocktail Hour
- 7 PM – 9 PM: Awards Banquet Dinner at Chattanooga Convention Center
Friday, July 25, 2025
- 9 AM – 5 PM: Zoo Day at Chattanooga Zoo
With your registration to the Annual Symposium, you have the option to attend a full day of workshops at the Tennessee Aquarium on Monday, July 21. If you plan to participate, please be sure to select this add-on during registration.
Workshops Schedule:
- 8 AM – 10:15 AM: Care and Recovery of Confiscated Turtles with David Collins
- 10:30 AM – 12 PM: Wildlife Photography with Scott Trageser
- 12 PM – 1 PM: Break for Lunch
- 1 PM – 2:30 PM: 3D Printing with Nathan Haislip and Scott Trageser
- 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM: Social Science and Behavior Change for Conservation with Human Nature Group
Schedule At-a-Glance
Group Experience
Explore Chattanooga by Land and Water!
Join fellow Symposium attendees for a unique group experience aboard an authentic WWII amphibious Duck Boat! This fun, narrated tour offers a one-of-a-kind way to see the scenic Chattanooga outdoors—from both the streets and the Tennessee River.
📅 Date: Sunday, July 20, 2025, 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
📍 151 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Join us for a fun and scenic group outing aboard a Chattanooga Duck Boat! This amphibious adventure kicks off at 4:00 PM on Sunday, July 20, and lasts approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Attendees will meet at 151 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN 37402 at 3:30 PM to check in and prepare for boarding. Snacks and refreshments will be available for purchase before and after the tour.
Please note: This experience is not wheelchair accessible, and guests will need to climb seven steps to board the Duck Boat.
More information and detailed instructions will be provided after ticket sales close on June 30.