Turtle Conservancy News and Program Updates
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)…
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….
The TC’s Southern Pacific Pond Turtle Conservation Program has been off to a great start this season. In past posts we've chronicled our search for Southern California’s only native freshwater turtle, Actinemys pallida, at two field sites. Past sightings have been sporadic and too few to confirm the presence of a population of resident Southern Pacific Pond Turtles which are notorious for evading human detection. This changed in May. Once we were permitted to employ hands-on techniques of capturing turtles, we immediately began finding healthy adults suggesting viable populations are present in these two very different locations.
As we go to the press with The Tortoise, our 11th issue of our annual magazine, an important report came out in the New York Times on the plight of reptiles titled, "From Tiny Geckos to King Cobras, 20% of Reptiles Face Extinction Risk."
Here's a quick reminder: there are just hours left to send in a tax-deductible year-end gift before the end of 2021!
A donation to the Turtle Conservancy is a donation to help protect this planet from:
With nearly 70,000 acres of grasslands, rainforests, and fynbos under our protection, you can help reverse the effects of climate change. These highly regenerative ecosystems act both as a carbon sink and a means to sequester carbon. Protecting land also prevents ever encroaching slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle farming. (Photo of Sandoval Reserve and Reforestation Area by Katala Foundation)
The wildlife rangers we support safeguard some of the most endangered tortoises on the planet. Our conservation center houses hundreds of turtles confiscated from smugglers around the world. (Photo of tortoise guardians on Geometric Tortoise Preserve)
Turtle Conservancy programs hatch hundreds of endangered turtles and tortoises every year, both in the wild and at our conservation center in California. This past year we released over 4,000 Diamondback Terrapins in New Jersey. Our captive breeding efforts currently encompass 19 of the top 50 most endangered turtles and tortoises.
Your gift is an investment in people and the planet. Every bit of your support will be matched by a generous donor.
Please donate by midnight tonight and make 2021 a success for turtles!
The Turtle Conservancy protects over 65,000 acres of wild land—safeguarding not only the turtles and tortoises but also a whole host of plants and animals that call these places home. Take a look at our conservation projects below to learn about what your donations will support on this #GivingTuesday!
Last month, two tech-savvy and entrepreneurial fans created one thousand digital turtles thriving on the Ethereum blockchain, and they donated all mint proceeds to our conservation efforts! Click the link to learn more about their work and how to make cryptocurrency donations to the Turtle Conservancy...
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...
We have developed a new partnership with the Santa Fe River Turtle Project (SFRTP) in northern Florida. The SFRTP is a collaborative effort by scientists, students, and citizens to learn about the turtles inhabiting the Santa Fe River and to promote conservation of the entire Santa Fe River ecosystem. Since 2004 the project has examined, measured, marked, and released more than 10,000 turtles. Over 250 students and citizens have participated in this project during the past 18 years...
In March we announced something big—an additional parcel added to our Geometric Tortoise preserve in South Africa. As fall begins in South Africa we have hit the ground running to protect tortoises on this new 217-acre property. This week we will begin to conduct surveys for Geometric Tortoises in this new area in addition to the mark-recapture population monitoring that will continue throughout the preserve...
In April we celebrated the second Earth Day under the COVID-19 Pandemic. We hope you had a happy earth day and were able to reflect on the undeniable connection between the health of the planet and the health of humankind. For many turtle species around the world, the pandemic has been a respite from human impact on nesting beaches, habitat destruction, and even poaching…
The United States has a wildlife trafficking crisis closer to home than most people realize: native turtles are disappearing from lands and waters and ending up in the hands of poachers across the country.
For those who are witnessing this crisis first hand—conservation professionals, biologists, and wildlife law enforcement officials—there is a consensus that immediate action is needed to prevent the removal of native turtles from the wild before irreversible damage is done to both rare and more common species, from Bog Turtles to Box Turtles. The U.S. is a global biological hotspot for turtles, home to 57 species, including some that only live here.
Dear Supporters,
In these challenging times, the Turtle Conservancy is still pursuing our mission and vision, thanks in part to all of your past support. We continue to care for the rescued animals at our conservation center in Ojai and manage our international wildlife preserves.
As you may know, I recently produced and directed the Tiger King series on Netflix, a personal journey that started with the investigation of the wildlife trade. It evolved into an exposé, documenting unsavory aspects of the tiger industry and roadside zoos in America. I witnessed the plight of not only captive tigers, but also that of wild animals around the world. Making the series reaffirmed my conviction that protecting wildlife along with their ecosystems is one of humanity's top priorities.
As COVID-19 demonstrates, our future is inextricably linked with nature. The more stressed ecological systems become, the more humans become the targets of emerging disease, unbuffered by the vast array of species in a healthy ecosystem. It's time to end the exploitation of nature that increases our exposure to pathogens jumping from animals to humans, threatening our survival.
Many years ago I founded the Turtle Conservancy to help protect wild land and save one of the most endangered groups of animals on the planet, turtles and tortoises. I remain a fervent believer in our motto: "Save Turtles, Save the Planet." We have already lost 50% of all life on Earth in the past 40 years. To help reach our goals, my fellow Tiger King filmmakers and I pledge $2 million to stop wildlife trade and protect critical habitat. Of course this is just a start, we will need much more funding to realize this vision. Please join me on this special Giving Tuesday to bolster our support. Your tax-deductible donation to the Turtle Conservancy will support habitat protection and our partners, including Endthetrade.com.
We are currently pursuing additional land purchases to expand our on-the-ground field conservation programs in South Africa and Mexico. This will protect several endangered turtle and tortoise species and all biodiversity they coexist with (including several wild cat species). We continue to fight against the wildlife trade by rescuing confiscated animals at our conservation center and support our overseas partners.
In these surreal times, I hope we recognize our impact on nature and our role within it. I send my wishes that you and your family stay healthy during this trying time.
Warmly,
Eric Goode
