Planning for the Future
In mid-February, Turtle Conservancy staff convened at our southern California Conservation Center for strategic planning to discuss the organization's future goals and implementation strategies. The three days of meetings allowed for in-depth conversations that will help guide us through the next three years.
On February 21st, the Border States Conservation Collaborative, a binational group of organizations, met in Tucson, Arizona to explore ways to work together to support our collective and individual conservation goals. The Collaborative discussed proposed border wall construction and the significant implications for wildlife corridors in northwestern Mexico and southwestern United States.
This was the second meeting of this newly formed group that includes Arizona Department of Fish & Game, Borderlands Restoration, Cuenca Los Ojos Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Desert Tortoise Council, Diamond A Ranch Animas Foundation, Fondo Mexicano Para La Conservación de la Naturaleza, Global Wildlife Conservation, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Malpais Borderlands Group, Nature and Culture International, Northern Jaguar Project, Rancho El Aribabi, Sky Island Alliance, Sonoran Joint Venture, The Nature Conservancy, Turner Endangered Species Fund, Turtle Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, University of Queretaro, and Wildlands Network.
'Extinct' Tortoise Rediscovered
Vote for Turtle Conservancy
The Turtle Conservancy is eligible to be rated by Charity Navigator, the gold standard in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of non-profit organizations in the U.S. And we need your help to expedite this process — we invite you to VOTE NOW to request to have the TC analyzed by the Charity Navigator Team!
Julianne Nicholson Supports TC
Saving Nicaragua's Leatherback Sea Turtles
Turtle Conservancy partner, Paso Pacifico, is making an impact on the populations of sea turtles living along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Back in August 2018, the TC ran a fundraiser called "Save the Leatherback Sea Turtle" which many of you responded to. Those funds are now supporting Paso Pacifico's work hiring local rangers, building leatherback sea turtle hatcheries, and patrolling beaches for nesting females. Community members in this program have successfully protected 8 leatherback nests! In addition, 3 hawksbill turtle nests and over 50 green turtle and 200 olive ridley turtle nests were protected!
Saving Vietnam's Tropical Turtles
The Turtle Conservancy sent a delegation to Hanoi, Vietnam this past month in an effort to build strategic partnerships in the region and to develop a standardized method for evaluating the field status of tropical turtles and tortoises, which would. The group was invited by the Turtle Sanctuary, a new organization in Vietnam led by Benjamin LePrince, Luca Luiselli, Thong Pham Van, Olivier Le Duc, and Cedric Bordes.
Species Highlight
The Newest TC Team Member
Thank You Fundraisers!
New TC Board Member
Galapagos Expedition
TC board member, Dr. Russell Mittermeier, and TC veterinarian Dr. James Liu went to the Galapagos Islands this past month, taking donors on a trip of a lifetime. In partnership with Lindblad Expeditions, the two took travelers through 6 islands, exploring the evolutionary wonders of the tortoises, birds, and more...
Wildlife Trade Update
The Turtle Conservancy continues to assist the US Fish and Wildlife Service in triage management of confiscated turtles and tortoises from the illegal wildlife trade. In total, the Turtle Conservancy has taken in over 100 animals in 2018. The majority of which are U.S. species being exported to Asia…
Save Turtles. Save the Planet.
Ted Turner Inspired Us All
Crisis in Madagascar
The Turtle Conservancy is on the forefront of the fight against the illegal wildlife trade in Madagascar. We work on both ends of the supply chain in Madagascar and Asia. Numerous articles and network news stories have covered our work fighting the trade in endangered tortoises, including CBS 60 Minutes, Charlie Rose, The New Yorker, click on the link below to learn more and make a donation today. Give your gift today to save Madagascar's imperiled tortoises.
Official Launch of the Indian Ocean Tortoise Alliance (IOTA)
In a bold move to stress the pivotal role of the Aldabra tortoise in regional ecosystem restoration, as well as shed light on the plight of this particular species in the face of climate change and human interference, a collective of conservationists and philanthropists have announced the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tortoise Alliance (IOTA), on the occasion of the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum – a new annual meeting for global governance actors…
