The board and staff of Turtle Survival Alliance recently updated our mission and vision statements to better reflect our ultimate goal to restore wild populations of tortoises and freshwater turtles. We envision a planet where turtles thrive in the wild, and are respected and protected by all humans. To further this vision, the mission of Turtle Survival Alliance is to protect and restore wild populations of tortoises and freshwater turtles through science-based conservation, global leadership, and local stewardship.
During its first four years, Turtle Survival Alliance operated as a task force for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. In 2004, we became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, initially with a home base in Texas at the Fort Worth Zoo. With growth also came the need for a facility to house and provide assurance colonies for some of the world’s most endangered turtles and tortoises. Thus, in 2013, we established the Turtle Survival Center in rural coastal South Carolina, now home to more than 600 animals.
With your help, Turtle Survival Alliance provides conservation breeding programs, field research, culturally appropriate conservation initiatives, community engagement and outreach, and shares new research and techniques throughout the global turtle and tortoise conservation community. Through collaborations with zoos, aquariums, universities, private turtle enthusiasts, veterinarians, government agencies, and conservation organizations, Turtle Survival Alliance has become widely recognized as a catalyst for turtle conservation, with a reputation for swift and decisive action.