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Why Turtles?

Found around the world in rivers, deserts, jungles, and our own backyards, it’s easy to assume tortoises and freshwater turtles will always be here. But the very traits that once helped them survive render them vulnerable to extinction today.
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To save turtles, we all play a role. Every day, tortoises and freshwater turtles around the globe face pressing threats. Your support equips us to support species where and how they need us most.

Turtles are ancient and remarkable creatures who deserve a champion. When you stand with us, you help ensure their continued survival. Together, we can create a world with zero turtle extinctions.

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Our Return to the Desert: 2024 Annual Symposium

  • July 31, 2024

Our Return to the Desert: 2024 Annual Symposium

On July 25 – 28, 2024, we, the Turtle Survival Alliance and IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, hosted the 22nd Annual Symposium on the Conservation & Biology of Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, USA. It was an incredible week of turtle conservationists sharing their research, collaborating, and exploring the Sonoran Desert for a glimpse of some native reptiles.

We kicked off the event with a field trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to explore the desert landscape and see some native reptile species. We hosted our Icebreaker at the event venue, Loews Ventana, and despite the rain brought by the seasonal monsoons, we enjoyed reconnecting with biologists from around the world, some of whom only see each other once a year at our symposium.

Friday began with the keynote address by Dr. Jeffrey Seminoff, “Building Synergies Across the Turtle Spectrum: Perspectives From a Sea Turtle Lifer”. We were pleased to have a marine turtle biologist featured at this year’s conference, inviting him to share his work in our sphere of turtle conservation.

After a full day of sessions, we gathered at Three Canyon Beer and Wine Garden for Drink Beer. Save Turtles.® to relax and recuperate for the weekend.

Saturday’s sessions spanned species of North America, including the Kinosternids and Terrepene genus, research findings on technology in field projects, and South American species. On Saturday evening, we ventured into Sabino Canyon with a tour led by Robert Villa of the Tucson Herpetological Society. Tucson is a fantastic location for herping, and many of our attendees went home having seen a slew of native reptiles, including Lyre Snakes (Trimorphodon bisctatus), Coral Snakes (Micruroides euryxanthus), Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum), Arizona Mud Turtles (Kinosternon stejnegeri), and more.

In Sunday’s sessions, talks ranged from Asia and Australia and the Indian Subcontinent to the Great Lakes of the United States. Other sessions explored topics such as Environmental Barriers, Natural History, and the Pursuit of Knowledge.

Vendors were open all weekend connecting with symposium attendees and selling turtle swag. Our silent auction concluded with many attendees securing dozens of high-value items from around the world.

We concluded the week with our Awards Banquet, where we honored this year’s Behler and Pritchard Turtle Conservation Award Winners, and awarded the Student Awards for Best Papers and Posters.

We thank everyone who made this incredible event possible, including the Turtle Survival Alliance staff, the 2024 Sponsors & Vendors, the Board of Directors, Session & Poster Presenters, and all attendees. We look forward to 2025!

Header Image: A Desert Box Turtle (Terrepene ornata) crossing an Arizona road, photo by Grover Brown.

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