Turtle Conservancy News and Program Updates
The end of May will conclude our third year of teaching alongside our partners at The Thacher School as we’ve had the privilege of immersing juniors and seniors in turtle conservation. The course lessons include subjects such as species biodiversity, the climate crisis and its effect on turtles, egg development, and conservation research methods…
On May 23rd we celebrated World Turtle Day! This annual holiday, held on May 23rd, brings together conservationists, scientists, and turtle enthusiasts from around the globe in celebration- or should we say shell- ebration of turtles of all kind.
Theres no better way to spend World Turtle Day then connecting with others that share the same passion for these incredible animals- except of course spending some time with the turtles themselves. Our Galapagos (Chelonoidis niger) and Aldabra (Aldabrachelys gigantea) Tortoises received a special treat: a spread of some of their favorite snacks including lettuce, hibiscus, papaya, cabbage, and cactus...
Help Save Palawan Forest Turtles with Our Fundraising Shirts!
Katala Foundation Inc is expanding their education program with Dumarao National High School in the Philippines. For just $3,000, we can provide education for 22 high school students for one year, which includes lunch and transportation.
By purchasing our shirt, you're supporting these students and the conservation of the critically endangered Palawan Forest Turtle. The curriculum focuses heavily on turtle conservation, inspiring future generations to become conservationists in the native range of these turtles.
We believe that saving turtles requires the involvement of local communities, and KFI's education program is a vital part of this effort. Buy a shirt, provide an education, and help save a turtle!
Turtle Conservancy has partnered with Katala Foundation since 2017 and supported the purchase and protection of over 1,000+ acres of land for conserving the Palawan Forest Turtle. Click here to learn more about our program.
Help us reach our goal of selling 100 shirts!!!
Turtle Conservancy hosted a booth at two events in the month of April to celebrate Earth Day, one for the Ventura Earth Day Eco Fest hosted by Ventura Charter School (April 16th) and the other at Ojai Community Farmer’s Market (April 20th).
In many countries around the world, turtles are seen as guardians of our Mother Earth, so we were elated to celebrate Earth Week with our community members as a way to share our mission and the importance of turtles and their conservation.
Second graders from Topa Topa Elementary visited the Turtle Conservancy bright eyed and ready to learn! Their visit to our center was a wonderful way to wrap up their “turtle week” at school where they had spent the past few days immersed in turtle curriculum taught by their teacher, Ms. Dvortcsak.
The students were excited to share their new knowledge with us and were also immersed in learning about individual species at our center. Meeting the Galapagos tortoises and getting to see newly hatched Burmese Star Tortoises were some of the major highlights.
As the weather warms up and the sun shines brighter, it seems like everyone is waking up from their winter slumber – including several species at the Turtle Conservancy that hibernate over winter.
After all, who wouldn't want to bask in the warm sun and soak up some rays after a long, cold winter? Plus, it's the perfect time to start looking for a mate.
These cute, flat, rock crevice dwelling flapjacks need your help! Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is offering members the chance to vote and help The Turtle Survival Alliance secure funds to save these magnificent little tortoises. These funds will be used to raise awareness in the local communities for newly found Pancake Tortoise populations, aiming to secure stable populations and the tortoise’s landscape.
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…
Earlier this month, the TC was delighted to host paleontologist Dr. Walter Joyce and PhD student Léa Girard from the University of Fribourg Switzerland and facilitate their use of the Pritchard Collection for research. The visit marks a new chapter for the collection since it was incorporated into the TC nearly two years ago.
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….
