Turtle Conservancy News and Program Updates
We were delighted to welcome Dr. Stefan Merz from Germany, who holds the distinction of being the sole individual in Europe with a breeding group of Aldabra tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea). Dr. Merz has amassed invaluable expertise in the physiology, behavior, habitat requirements, ecology and reproductive patterns of Aldabra Tortoises through his expeditions to their native island…
Turtle Conservancy Board Chair, Anders Rhodin, was awarded the International Sea Turtle Society Lifetime Achievement Award; an annual award honoring an individual who has had a significant impact on sea turtle biology and conservation through the course of their career.
Rhodin joins some of the giants in the sea turtle world, including past recipients Archie Carr and Peter Pritchard…
We are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership between the Turtle Conservancy (TC) and the MERITO Foundation, aimed at fostering environmental education in Ventura County. Last week, the TC and MERITO hosted six middle school teachers from the De Anza Middle School (DATA) at our conservation center. This collaborative effort allowed educators to benefit from professional development opportunities offered by MERITO's renowned program, enhancing their knowledge and skills in environmental education…
The Turtle Conservancy is proud to be a part of the Wildlife Confiscations Network in southern California, just launched by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The network is a pilot program of AZA’s Wildlife Trafficking Alliance that provides a coordinated response for the care and wellbeing of wildlife confiscated from illegal trade…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed federal protections for both species of western pond turtle (Actinemys marmorata), namely the northwestern pond turtle and the southwestern pond turtle, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These turtles, residing across several states in the western U.S., are facing threats from worsening drought conditions, habitat loss, fragmentation, and predation by invasive species. The Service's decision to list them as threatened under the ESA is based on a Species Status Assessment, indicating their increasing risk of extinction due to population losses and reduced genetic diversity. A 4(d) rule is also proposed, allowing activities like wildfire suppression, habitat restoration, and non-native species removal that support turtle conservation…
We are excited to share some heartwarming news from the plains of New Mexico. In a remarkable conservation effort, on September 22nd, our partners at the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) celebrated the release of 20 Bolson tortoises marking a significant milestone in the preservation of this critically endangered species.
In the article written by Huffington Post, program director, Chris Weise, shared the importance of the release of headstarted tortoises. “The releases are the essential step to getting them back on the ground and letting them be wild tortoises,” she said. “To us, this is the pinnacle of what we do” …
Hatchlings are always a source of excitement at the Turtle Conservancy, and some are particularly thrilling, like this adorable little Spiny Hill Turtle (Heosemys spinosa) that hatched on July tenth. Turtle Conservancy carefully incubated the egg for four months until this little one emerged into the world. Welcoming this little Spiny Hill Turtle represents renewed hope for the future of this endangered species…
The Turtle Conservancy was excited to host an event with The Channel Islands Nature Journalers: a Meet Up group of nature journalers who love to explore, observe, and document the natural world. Twice monthly, this group meets at a different location to observe nature deeply and record their observations through illustrations and writings…
As a nonprofit organization, we cannot thank our volunteers enough for donating their time to our mission. Our volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, ages, and experience, but they all have one thing in common - they love turtles!
Ula, a highschool student from Ojai, learned about the TC through a school trip in middle school…
Last week, the Turtle Conservancy’s education team, Kelly Herbinson and Manci Rasmussen, presented at our local City Hall to the youth members of the Green Valley Project about our native Southern Pacific Pond Turtle. The focus was to discuss our current conservation efforts for the species, why the turtles are facing a population decline, and how their organization can aid in their conservation...
At the end of January, a contingent of TC staff and partners traveled to South Africa to reconnect with our Southern Africa Tortoise Conservation Trust (SATCT) staff and partners. After 3 years of zoom, this was the first time since the beginning of the pandemic that US-based conservationists were able to visit our Geometric Tortoise preserve. In addition to having our first in-person SATCT Trustee meeting since 2019, we held meetings with CapeNature, the environmental conservation government agency for the Western Cape. We also consulted and engaged with NGO colleagues and local scientists on future management plans and actions, and visited the tortoise headstarting facility at Elandsberg Nature Reserve (managed by our partners, the Mapula Trust)…
Eric Goode, Dr. Peter Pritchard (posthumous) and the Turtle Conservancy were honored by the United Nations this past month, receiving the Legacy Award at the 2022 Ambassador’s Ball. Dionne Warwick, Shepard Fairey, Jennifer Garner, Lady Gaga, and the former Prime Minister of Bhutan (Tshering Tobay) were also recognized for their work in the arts, humanitarian efforts, and climate change…
On July 14th, the Turtle Conservancy was invited to present to Nordhoff High School’s College and Career Foundations course. This summer the class is instructed by Peter Deneen, an Ojai local turned environmental writer and educator bringing inspiration to the public high school. Deneen had an innovative approach that included inviting professionals from diverse fields to come and speak to his students. He shared with us that his goal for the class was to “create a container of self-exploration for 10-12th graders living in our current chaotic uncertainty of now, where the traditional pathways to ‘success’ have been eroded by the social, political, and environmental realities of the moment, and equip them with the tools they will need to get to know themselves and their core purpose as well as possible.”
The 11th issue of The Tortoise is here! In this year’s magazine we highlight the conservationists, artists, and scientists who have devoted their lives to awareness and conservation for turtles and tortoises. With stories about the illicit trade and the conviction of poachers, historical and current exploitation of chelonians by humans, and artistic interpretations that connect us with the natural world, readers will enjoy the diverse approaches through which today’s conservation challenges are met…
Meet our Summer Intern, Lily King! Lily is an upcoming senior at The Thacher School and her internship is focused on a more veterinary aspect of turtle conservation. Lily’s passion for animals caught our eye during her year in our Field Biology and Conservation class and this past month, she has exceeded our expectations by aiding in general animal husbandry tasks, and minor veterinary procedures under supervision that included beak trims, pit tagging, deworming and caring for animals under quarantine protocols. We also had some fun going out into the field and surveying for our native Southwestern Pond Turtles. Lily, we’ve had fun learning alongside you, thank you for your dedication to turtles and for all your help this summer!
Over the past three years, the Turtle Conservancy and The Thacher School have developed a partnership aimed at innovating a new kind of science curriculum that engages students in real-world turtle conservation programs through hands-on learning experiences. This summer we took it to the next level by inviting middle school students from Los Angeles County and surrounding areas to join us on a week-long adventure. The students were immersed in learning about various aspects of turtle conservation and Ojai ecology. Some specific topics that we covered include learning about individual chelonian species, conservation management techniques, egg development, the climate crisis, and the theory of convergent evolution in giant tortoises….
